HR: 1330h
AN: SA43A-09    [Abstracts]
TI: TIMED/SABER observations of mesospheric odd-oxygen and chemical heating
AU: * Marsh, D R
EM: marsh@ucar.edu
AF: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Division, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 United States
AU: Merkel, A W
EM: merkel@ucar.edu
AF: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Division, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 United States
AU: Merkel, A W
EM: merkel@ucar.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303-7814 United States
AU: Smith, A K
EM: aksmith@ucar.edu
AF: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Division, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 United States
AB: Odd-oxygen (Ox = O + O₃) plays an important role in determining the energy budget of the mesosphere. The rates of important exothermic reactions depend either directly or indirectly on Ox concentrations, as does the rate at which energy is lost through airglow emissions. TIMED/SABER airglow measurements can thus be used to infer atomic oxygen and ozone densities and, through the use of photochemical models, chemical heating rates. This study combines SABER atomic oxygen and ozone observations to study mesospheric variability of Ox. Observations reveal significant seasonal and diurnal variability in odd-oxygen which affects chemical heating rates and the mesospheric energy budget.
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0340 Middle atmosphere--composition and chemistry
DE: 0341 Middle atmosphere--constituent transport and chemistry (3334)
DE: 0342 Middle atmosphere--energy deposition
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly