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Horizontally dispersing gravity waves with horizontal wavelengths of 30-40 km were observed at mesospheric altitudes over Auckland Island by the airborne advanced mesospheric temperature mapper during a Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (DEEPWAVE) research flight on 14 July 2014. A 3D nonlinear compressible model is used to determine which propagation conditions enabled gravity wave penetration into the mesosphere and how the resulting instability characteristics led to widespread momentum deposition. Results indicate that linear tunneling through the polar night jet enabled quick gravity wave propagation from the surface up to the mesopause, while subsequent instability processes reveal large rolls that formed in the negative shear above the jet maximum and led to significant momentum deposition as they descended. This study suggests that gravity wave tunneling is a viable source for this case and other deep propagation events reaching the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horizontal wavenumber spectra across the middle atmosphere are investigated based on density measurements with the Airborne Lidar for Middle Atmosphere research (ALIMA) in the vicinity of the Southern Andes, the Drake passage and the Antarctic peninsula in September 2019. The probed horizontal scales range from 2000 to 25 km. Spectral slopes are close to k−5/3 in the stratosphere and get shallower for horizontal wavelengths <200 km in the mesosphere. The spectral slopes are shown to be statistically robust with the presented number of flight legs despite the unknown orientation of true wave vectors relative to the flight track using synthetic data and a Monte Carlo approach. The largest spectral amplitudes are found over the ocean rather than over topography. The 2019 sudden stratospheric warming caused a critical level for MWs and a reduction of spectral amplitudes at horizontal wavelengths of about 200 km in the mesosphere. Plain Language Summary: The spectral analysis of observations along extended flight tracks helps to determine the contribution of different length scales to atmospheric processes. In this study we calculate horizontal wavenumber spectra in the altitude range between 20 and 80 km, the middle atmosphere, based on observations from the Airborne Lidar for Middle Atmosphere research onboard the HALO aircraft. The observations were performed in the vicinity of the Southern Andes, the Drake passage and the Antarctic peninsula during September 2019. The observed horizontal scales range from 2000 km to about 25 km and cover almost the entire mesoscale range of atmospheric dynamics in the middle atmosphere. This study finds that vertical oscillations in the atmosphere, called gravity waves, cause the slopes and power of the spectra at the observed horizontal scales in the middle atmosphere. The slopes and power of the horizontal spectra vary with varying gravity wave activity during the period of observations. Key Points: Horizontal wavenumber spectra across the middle atmosphere are computed using airborne lidar observations during the 2019 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW)Horizontal wavenumber spectra are close to k−5/3 in the stratosphere, and become shallower in the mesosphere during the SSWObservational evidence is provided that the mesoscale spectral slope in the middle atmosphere is caused by the occurrence of gravity waves [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of the GW-LCYCLE II campaign, conducted in Jan/Feb 2016 from Kiruna, Sweden, coherent Doppler wind lidar (2 µ m DWL) measurements were performed from the DLR Falcon aircraft to investigate gravity waves induced by flow across the Scandinavian Alps. During a mountain wave event on 28 January 2016, a novel momentum flux (MF) scan pattern with fore and aft propagating laser beams was applied to the 2 µ m DWL. This allows us to measure the vertical wind and the horizontal wind along the flight track simultaneously with a high horizontal resolution of ≈800m and hence enables us to derive the horizontal MF profile for a broad wavelength spectrum from a few hundred meters to several hundred kilometers. The functionality of this method and the corresponding retrieval algorithm is validated using a comparison against in situ wind data measured by the High Altitude and Long Range (HALO) aircraft which was also deployed in Kiruna for the POLSTRACC (Polar Stratosphere in a Changing Climate) campaign. Based on that, the systematic and random error of the wind speeds retrieved from the 2 µ m DWL observations are determined. Further, the measurements performed on that day are used to reveal significant changes in the horizontal wavelengths of the vertical wind speed and of the leg-averaged momentum fluxes in the tropopause inversion layer (TIL) region, which are likely to be induced by interfacial waves as recently presented by. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of the GW-LCYCLE II campaign, conducted in Jan/Feb 2016 from Kiruna, Sweden, coherent Doppler wind lidar (2-µm DWL) measurements were performed from the DLR Falcon aircraft to investigate small-scale gravity waves induced by flow across the Scandinavian Alps. During a mountain wave event on 28 January 2016, a novel momentum flux (MF) scan pattern with fore and aft propagating laser beams was applied to the 2-µm DWL. This allows to measure vertical wind and horizontal wind along the flight track simultaneously, and hence, enables to derive the horizontal momentum flux profile. The functionality of this method and the corresponding retrieval algorithm is validated by means of a comparison against in-situ wind data measured by the High Altitude and Long Range (HALO) aircraft which was also deployed in Kiruna for the POLSTRACC (Polar Stratosphere in a Changing Climate) campaign. Based on that, the systematic and random error of the wind speeds retrieved from the 2-µm DWL observations are determined. Further, the measurements performed on that day are used to reveal pronounced changes of the horizontal scales of the vertical velocity field and of the leg-averaged momentum fluxes in the tropopause inversion layer (TIL) region, which are induced by interfacial waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth's lower ionosphere is the region where terrestrial weather and space weather come together. Here, between 60 and 100 km altitude, solar radiation governs the diurnal cycle of the ionized species. This altitude range is also the place where nanometre-sized dust particles, recondensed from ablated meteoric material, exist and interact with free electrons and ions of the ionosphere. This study reports electron density measurements from the Arecibo incoherent-scatter radar being performed during sunset and sunrise conditions. An asymmetry of the electron density is observed, with higher electron density during sunset than during sunrise. This asymmetry extends from solar zenith angles (SZAs) of 80 to 100 ∘. This D-region asymmetry can be observed between 95 and 75 km altitude. The electron density observations are compared to the one-dimensional Sodankylä Ion and Neutral Chemistry (SIC) model and a variant of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model incorporating a subset SIC's ion chemistry (WACCM-D). Both models also show a D-region sunrise–sunset asymmetry. However, WACCM-D compares slightly better to the observations than SIC, especially during sunset, when the electron density gradually fades away. An investigation of the electron density continuity equation reveals a higher electron–ion recombination rate than the fading ionization rate during sunset. The recombination reactions are not fast enough to closely match the fading ionization rate during sunset, resulting in excess electron density. At lower altitudes electron attachment to neutrals and their detachment from negative ions play a significant role in the asymmetry as well. A comparison of a specific SIC version incorporating meteoric smoke particles (MSPs) to the observations revealed no sudden changes in electron density as predicted by the model. However, the expected electron density jump (drop) during sunrise (sunset) occurs at 100 ∘ SZA when the radar signal is close to the noise floor, making a clear falsification of MSPs' influence on the D region impossible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the effects of absorption and Faraday rotation on measurements of polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE). We found that such effects can produce significant reduction of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) when the D region electron densities (Ne) are enhanced, and VHF radar systems with linearly polarized antennas are used. In particular we study the expected effects during the strong solar proton event (SPE) of July 2000, also known as the Bastille day flare event. During this event, a strong anti-correlation between the PMSE SNR and the D-region Ne was found over three VHF radar sites at high latitudes: Andøya, Kiruna, and Svalbard. This anti-correlation has been explained (a) in terms of transport effects due to strong electric fields associated to the SPE and (b) due to a limited amount of aerosol particles as compared to the amount of D-region electrons. Our calculations using the Ne profiles used by previous researchers explain most, if not all, of the observed SNR reduction in both time (around the SPE peak) and altitude. This systematic effect, particularly the Faraday rotation, should be recognized and tested, and possibly avoided (e.g., using circular polarization), in future observations during the incoming solar maximum period, to contribute to the understanding of PMSE during enhanced D region Ne. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During winter the wind field in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) at middle and polar latitudes is characterized by a strong variability due to enhanced planetary wave activity and related stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events. Such events are considered as distinct vertical coupling processes influencing the atmosphere below and above the stratosphere. In the last 12 years, an enhanced number of SSW, compared to the period from 1989 to 1998, has been observed in the northern hemisphere. Every SSW is connected with different effects in the MLT (strength and temporal development of wind reversals, temperature changes, wave activity, longitudinal dependence). To characterize the average behavior of the mesospheric response to strong SSWs, we combine high-resolution wind measurements from MF- and meteor radar at Andenes (69°N, 16°E) with global temperature observations from MLS aboard the Aura satellite for SSW events with a return to the middle atmosphere normal winter condition afterwards. Our aim is to identify characteristic wave patterns which are common to the majority of these events and to define the average characteristics of the SSW-related wave activity in the MLT. These will be compared to the relatively quiet winter 2011 with only a short minor warming without a wind reversal and to the wave activity in 2009 and 2010. The results show clear signatures of enhanced mesospheric planetary wave activity before and during the SSW and an earlier onset of the short term wind reversal in the mesosphere compared to wind and temperature changes in the stratosphere. The strong eastward winds at altitudes below 80km after SSW are connected with an enhanced gravity wave activity caused by changed filter conditions. This provides evidence for a strong modulation of semidiurnal tidal amplitudes before and during SSW by planetary waves. However, no clear relation has been found in the temporal development of tides relative to the onset of the selected SSW events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A Stemme S10-VT motor glider was equipped with a newly developed sensor suite consisting of a five-hole probe, an inertial navigation and global navigation satellite system, two temperature sensors, and a humidity sensor. By design, the system provides three-dimensional wind vector data that enable the analysis of atmospheric motion scales up to a temporal resolution of 10 Hz. We give a description of components and installation of the system, its calibration, and its performance. The accuracy for the measurement of the wind vector is estimated to be on the order of 0.5 m s−1. As part of the Southern Hemisphere Transport, Dynamics, and Chemistry (SouthTRAC) field campaign, 30 research flights were performed from September 2019 to January 2020. We present statistical analysis of the observations, discriminating pure motor flights from soaring flights in the lee waves of the Andes. We present histograms of flight altitude, airspeed, wind speed and direction, temperature, and relative humidity to document the atmospheric conditions. Probability density functions of vertical air velocity, turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), and dissipation rate complete the statistical analysis. Altogether, 41% of the flights are in weak, 14% in moderate, and 0.4% in strong mountain wave conditions according to thresholds for the measured vertical air velocity. As an exemplary case study, we compare measurements on 11 September 2019 to a high-resolution numerical weather prediction model. The case study provides a meaningful example of how data from soaring flights might be utilized for model validation on the mesoscale and within the troposphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel rocket-borne ion mass spectrometer named ROMARA (ROcket-borne MAss spectrometer for Research in the Atmosphere) for measuring atmospheric positive and negative ions (atomic, molecular and cluster ions) and positively and negatively charged meteor smoke particles. Our ROMARA instrument has, compared to previous rocket-borne ion mass spectrometers, a markedly larger mass range of up to m/z 2000 and a larger sensitivity, particularly for meteor smoke particle detection. The major objectives of this first ROMARA flight included the following: a functional test of the ROMARA instrument, measurements between 55 and 121 km in the mass range of atmospheric positive and negative ions, a first attempt to conduct mass spectrometric measurements in the mass range of meteor smoke particles with mass-to-charge ratios up to m/z 2000, and measurements inside a polar mesospheric winter echo layer as detected by ground-based radar. Our ROMARA measurements took place on the Arctic island of Andøya, Norway, at around noon in April 2018 and represented an integral part of the polar mesospheric winter radar echo (PMWE) rocket campaign. During the rocket flight, ROMARA was operated in a measurement mode, offering maximum sensitivity and the ability to qualitatively detect total ion signatures even beyond its mass-resolving mass range. On this first ROMARA flight we were able to meet all of our objectives. We detected atmospheric species including positive atomic, molecular and cluster ions along with negative molecular ions up to about m/z 100. Above m/z 2000, ROMARA measured strong negative-ion signatures, which are likely due to negatively charged meteor smoke particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microwave temperature profiler (MTP), an airborne passive microwave radiometer, measures radiances, recorded as counts and calibrated to brightness temperatures, in order to estimate temperature profiles around flight altitude. From these data, quantities such as potential temperature gradients and static stability, indicating the state of the atmosphere, can be derived and used to assess important dynamical processes (e.g., gravity waves or stability assessments). DLR has acquired a copy of the MTP from NASA–JPL, which was designed as a wing-canister instrument and is deployed on the German High Altitude LOng range research aircraft (HALO). For this instrument a thorough analysis of instrument characteristics has been made in order to correctly determine the accuracy and precision of MTP measurements. Using a laboratory setup, the frequency response function and antenna diagram of the instrument were carefully characterized. A cold chamber was used to simulate the changing in-flight conditions and to derive noise characteristics as well as reliable calibration parameters for brightness temperature calculations, which are compared to those calculated from campaign data. The MTP shows quite large changes in the instrument state, imposing considerable changes in calibration parameters over the course of a single measurement flight; using a built-in heated target for calibration may yield large errors in brightness temperatures due to a misinterpretation of the measured absolute temperature. Applying the corrections presented herein to the calibration parameter calculations, the measurement noise becomes the dominant source of uncertainty and it is possible to measure the brightness temperatures around flight level (closely related to the absolute temperature close to the instrument) with a precision of 0.38 K. Furthermore, radiative transfer simulations, using the Py4CAtS package in a pencil-beam approach, indicate that the altitude range of the sensitivity of the MTP instrument can be increased by applying a modified measurement strategy. This is the first time such an extensive characterization of an MTP instrument, including a thorough calibration strategy assessment, has been published. The presented results, relevant for the wing-canister design of the MTP instrument, are important when processing MTP data: knowledge of the relevant uncertainties and instrument characteristics is essential for retrieval setup and is mandatory to correctly identify and interpret significant atmospheric temperature fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unusual appearance of mother-of-pearl clouds above El Calafate, Argentina (50°21'S, 72°16'W) Visual observations from the ground and from a glider soaring in the lowermost stratosphere revealed the existence of stratospheric mother-of-pearl clouds above El Calafate in the lee of the Andes on 11 September 2019. By using high-resolution numerical simulations, we show evidence of mountain waves propagating up to the stratosphere that are responsible for generating the localised cold stratospheric temperature anomalies required for ice cloud formation. Gl Mountain wave-induced temperature anomalies Operational HRES analyses of the EMCWF's Integrated Forecast System (IFS) are used to visualise the hemispheric temperature field at 20hPa (~25km altitude) on 11 September 2019 at 1800 utc and 12 September 2019 at 0000 utc, Figure 9. [Extracted from the article]

We analyse gravity waves in the upper-mesosphere, lower-thermosphere region from high-resolution temperature variations measured by the Rayleigh lidar and OH temperature mapper. From this combination of instruments, aided by meteor radar wind data, the full set of ground-relative and intrinsic gravity wave parameters are derived by means of the novel WAPITI (Wavelet Analysis and Phase line IdenTIfication) method. This WAPITI tool decomposes the gravity wave field into its spectral component while preserving the temporal resolution, allowing us to identify and study the evolution of gravity wave packets in the varying backgrounds. We describe WAPITI and demonstrate its capabilities for the large-amplitude gravity wave event on 16–17 December 2015 observed at Sodankylä, Finland, during the GW-LCYCLE-II (Gravity Wave Life Cycle Experiment) field campaign. We present horizontal and vertical wavelengths, phase velocities, propagation directions and intrinsic periods including uncertainties. The results are discussed for three main spectral regions, representing small-, medium- and large-period gravity waves. We observe a complex superposition of gravity waves at different scales, partly generated by gravity wave breaking, evolving in accordance with a vertically and presumably also horizontally sheared wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Atlantic Waveguide and Downstream Impact Experiment (NAWDEX) explored the impact of diabatic processes on disturbances of the jet stream and their influence on downstream high-impact weather through the deployment of four research aircraft, each with a sophisticated set of remote sensing and in situ instruments, and coordinated with a suite of ground-based measurements. A total of 49 research flights were performed, including, for the first time, coordinated flights of the four aircraft: the German High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO), the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) Dassault Falcon 20, the French Service des Avions Français Instrumentés pour la Recherche en Environnement (SAFIRE) Falcon 20, and the British Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe 146. The observation period from 17 September to 22 October 2016 with frequently occurring extratropical and tropical cyclones was ideal for investigating midlatitude weather over the North Atlantic. NAWDEX featured three sequences of upstream triggers of waveguide disturbances, as well as their dynamic interaction with the jet stream, subsequent development, and eventual downstream weather impact on Europe. Examples are presented to highlight the wealth of phenomena that were sampled, the comprehensive coverage, and the multifaceted nature of the measurements. This unique dataset forms the basis for future case studies and detailed evaluations of weather and climate predictions to improve our understanding of diabatic influences on Rossby waves and the downstream impacts of weather systems affecting Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (DEEPWAVE) was designed to quantify gravity wave (GW) dynamics and effects from orographic and other sources to regions of dissipation at high altitudes. The core DEEPWAVE field phase took place from May through July 2014 using a comprehensive suite of airborne and ground-based instruments providing measurements from Earth's surface to ∼100 km. Austral winter was chosen to observe deep GW propagation to high altitudes. DEEPWAVE was based on South Island, New Zealand, to provide access to the New Zealand and Tasmanian 'hotspots' of GW activity and additional GW sources over the Southern Ocean and Tasman Sea. To observe GWs up to ∼100 km, DEEPWAVE utilized three new instruments built specifically for the National Science Foundation (NSF)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Gulfstream V (GV): a Rayleigh lidar, a sodium resonance lidar, and an advanced mesosphere temperature mapper. These measurements were supplemented by in situ probes, dropsondes, and a microwave temperature profiler on the GV and by in situ probes and a Doppler lidar aboard the German DLR Falcon. Extensive ground-based instrumentation and radiosondes were deployed on South Island, Tasmania, and Southern Ocean islands. Deep orographic GWs were a primary target but multiple flights also observed deep GWs arising from deep convection, jet streams, and frontal systems. Highlights include the following: 1) strong orographic GW forcing accompanying strong cross-mountain flows, 2) strong high-altitude responses even when orographic forcing was weak, 3) large-scale GWs at high altitudes arising from jet stream sources, and 4) significant flight-level energy fluxes and often very large momentum fluxes at high altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteor smoke particles (MSP), which are thought to be the nucleation germs for mesospheric ice, are currently discussed to consist of highly absorbing materials such as magnesiowüstite, hematite or magnesium-iron-silicates and may therefore be warmer than the ambient atmosphere. In order to quantify the temperature difference between MSP and the atmosphere we developed a model to calculate the MSP equilibrium temperature in radiational and collisional balance. The temperature difference between MSP and the surrounding atmosphere strongly depends on the composition of the MSP, especially on the relative iron content, where a higher iron content leads to warmer MSP. We then derive an expression of the nucleation rate of mesospheric ice particles which explicitly accounts for this temperature difference. We find that the nucleation rate is strongly reduced by several orders of magnitude if the germ temperature is increased by only a few Kelvin. Implementing this nucleation rate depending on the germ temperature into CARMA, the Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres, we find that fewer but larger ice particles are formed compared to a reference scenario with no temperature difference between MSP and ambient atmosphere. This may indicate that iron-rich MSP are not ideal ice nuclei and that either other MSP-types or other nucleation pathways (e.g. wave induced heterogeneous nucleation or even homogeneous nucleation) are responsible for ice formation at the mesopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Linear gravity wave (GW) theory is tested on the basis of simultaneous measurements of horizontal winds from a medium frequency (MF) radar at Juliusruh (54.6°N, 13.4°E) and temperatures from combined Potassium (K) and Rayleigh–Mie–Raman (RMR) lidars at Kühlungsborn (54.1°N, 11.8°E). The applicability of linear GW theory to mesospheric observations is far from obvious given the fact that typically a whole spectrum of waves is observed which may interact non-linearly. Before analyzing our experimental dataset for its fit to expectations from linear GW theory, the chosen methodology is tested with model data from the Kühlungsborn Mechanistic general Circulation Model (KMCM). This model is a mechanistic general circulation model with high spatial resolution such that waves with horizontal wavelengths in excess of are explicitly resolved yielding a semi-realistic wave motion field. This may be considered as a suitable test-bed for defining and optimizing wave analysis approaches. This effort reveals that Stokes parameters analysis of filtered time series of GW-induced wind and temperature fluctuations in comparison to wave amplitudes directly retrieved from the filtered time series allows us to demonstrate the validity of polarization relations based on linear wave theory. Indeed, applying the same methodology to the observations yields similarly conclusive results thus giving evidence for the applicability of linear wave theory to mesospheric observations after appropriate filtering. These investigations are complemented by a comparison of kinetic and potential energy per unit mass for model and measured data. This reveals that the ratio of kinetic and potential energy also roughly follows expectations from linear wave theory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A narrow beam Doppler radar operating at 3.17MHz and installed close to the Andøya Rocket Range in Andenes, Norway, (69.3°N, 16.0°E) has been providing electron densities in the lower ionosphere since summer 2003. The experiment utilizes partial reflection of ordinary and extraordinary component waves from scatterers in the altitude range 50–95km to estimate electron densities from differential absorption and differential phase measurements. These ground-based observations are in good agreement with concurrent rocket-borne radio wave propagation measurements at Andenes. Results of the diurnal and seasonal variability of electron densities and the response of D-region electron densities to solar activity storms are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For the analysis of gravity waves the method presented by is used, which enables us to derive wind variances and gravity wave momentum fluxes in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere from all-sky interferometric meteor radar wind measurements considering waves and variances with periods less than 2h. A sensitivity study for the applicability of this method has been performed for the first time using a mechanistic general circulation model with high spatial resolution and explicit description of gravity waves. Wind variances and momentum fluxes have been determined from the model directly and by Hocking’s method. Results of both methods are in good agreement except for vertical wind variances in case of weak vertical winds, which in the model are of the order of 1m/s, whereas short period gravity waves estimated by meteor radar lead to larger vertical winds with a smaller ratio between horizontal and vertical wind fluctuations. A latitudinal comparison of mean annual variations of wind variances and momentum fluxes has been performed using meteor radar measurements at the high latitude site Andenes (69.3°N, 16.0°E) and the midlatitude site Juliusruh (54.6°N, 13.4°E). A semi-annual variation of the activity of short period gravity waves has been found having stronger magnitudes at high latitudes. The mean zonal winds show the typical summer wind reversal that shifts to higher altitudes from middle to high latitudes. Finally, the coupling between gravity waves and the mean background circulation is investigated based on long-term measurements at Andenes and the midlatitude site Collm (51.3°N, 13.0°E) during a period from 2004 to 2009. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A first sounding rocket campaign dedicated to investigate the creation mechanism of Polar Mesosphere Winter Echoes (PMWE) was conducted in April 2018 from the north Norwegian Andøya Space Center (69 ∘ N, 16 ∘ E). Two instrumented sounding rockets were launched on 13th and 18th of April under PMWE and non-PMWE conditions, respectively. In this paper we give an overview of the PMWE sounding rocket mission. We describe and discuss some results of combined in situ and ground-based measurements which allow to verify existing PMWE theories. Our measurements ultimately show that: a) polar winter mesosphere is abounded with meteor smoke particles (MSP) and intermittent turbulent layers, b) all PMWE observed during this campaign can be explained by neutral air turbulence, c) turbulence creates small-scale structures in all D-region constituents, including free electrons; d) MSP ultimately influence the radar volume reflectivity by distorting the turbulence spectrum of electrons, e) the influence of MSP and of background electron density is just to increase SNR. • A first sounding rocket campaign dedicated to investigate PMWE was conducted in April 2018 from the Andøya Space Center. • Our measurements ultimately show that polar winter mesosphere is abounded with MSP and intermittent turbulent layers. • Between ~85 and ~75 km turbulence creates small-scale structures in all the D-region constituents, including free electrons. • When the background ionization is strong enough, these structures become visible for VHF radars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on common volume rocket-borne measurements of temperature, densities of atomic oxygen and neutral air, we derived O(1D) nighttime concentrations and corresponding Atmospheric band emission (762 nm). This is one of the first retrievals of the nighttime O(1D) concentration. Recently, Kalogerakis, Sharma and co-workers have suggested a new production path of O(1D) based on the reaction of vibrationally excited OH and O. We calculate Atmospheric band volume emission related to the population of O 2 (b 1 Σ g +) from O(1D) and compare with total Atmospheric band emissions observed during the same rocket launch. This allows an estimation of the relative contribution of the new Kalogerakis-Sharma mechanism (KSM) to the total Atmospheric band emission. The concentration of O(1D) due to KSM amounts to several tens cm−3 with a peak around 95 km. The KSM gives an essential contribution to the total Atmospheric band volume emission (762 nm). Additionally, we illustrate analytically that the expressions for volume emission by the new KSM and the traditional two-step mechanism have similar functional dependences on the atmospheric concentrations of O and O 2. This causes an ambiguity, when interpreting Atmospheric band observations in terms of the one mechanism or the other. • By the rocket-borne common volume observations the importance of Kalogerakis-Sharma mechanism (KSM) was analysed. • The [O(1D)] due to KSM amounts to several tens cm−3 with a peak around 95 km. • The KSM gives an essential contribution to the total Atmospheric band emission. • The KSM and two-step mechanisms have similar functional dependences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and predicting space weather activity is increasingly important given society's growing reliance on space-based infrastructure but is hampered by a lack of observational data. Airglow at 1083 nm from metastable helium He(2 3 S) in the thermosphere has long been a target for remote-sensing instruments seeking to fill that gap; however, passive measurements of He(2 3 S) fluorescence are limited by low brightness, and interpretation of these observations is complicated by the > 500 km depth of the He(2 3 S) layer. Here, we demonstrate a lidar instrument that is able to stimulate and detect He(2 3 S) fluorescence, and we present measured profiles of He(2 3 S) density. These measurements provide crucial validation to space weather models, support predictions of peak number density ( ~ 1 cm -3 ) and the dependence of density on altitude, solar zenith angle, and season, and extend by a factor of 4 the maximum probed altitude range by an atmospheric profiling lidar. These measurements open the door for the development of more sophisticated lidars: by applying well-established spectroscopic lidar techniques, one can measure the Doppler shift and broadening of the He(2 3 S) line, thereby retrieving profiles of neutral wind speed and temperature, opening a window for studying space weather phenomena., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Two successive mesospheric bores were observed over northeastern Canada on 13 July 2018 in high-resolution imaging and Rayleigh lidar profiling of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) performed aboard the PMC Turbo long-duration balloon experiment. Four wide field-of-view cameras spanning an area of ~75 × 150 km at PMC altitudes captured the two evolutions occurring over ~2 hr and resolved bore and associated instability features as small as ~100 m. The Rayleigh lidar provided PMC backscatter profiling that revealed vertical displacements, evolving brightness distributions, evidence of instability character and depths, and insights into bore formation, ducting, and dissipation. Both bores exhibited variable structure along their phases, suggesting variable gravity wave (GW) source and bore propagation conditions. Both bores also exhibited small-scale instability dynamics at their leading and trailing edges. Those at the leading edges comprised apparent Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities that were advected downward and rearward beneath the bore descending phases extending into an apparently intensified shear layer. Instabilities at the trailing edges exhibited alignments approximately orthogonal to the bore phases that resembled those seen to accompany GW breaking or intrusions arising in high-resolution modeling of GW instability dynamics. Collectively, PMC Turbo bore imaging and lidar profiling enabled enhanced definition of bore dynamics relative to what has been possible by previous ground-based observations, and a potential to guide new, three-dimensional modeling of bore dynamics. The observed bore evolutions suggest potentially important roles for bores in the deposition of energy and momentum transported into the mesosphere and to higher altitudes by high-frequency GWs achieving large amplitudes., (©2020. The Authors.)