Dynamics of the Antarctic and Arctic mesosphere and lower thermosphere – Part 1: Mean winds

• Published in: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
• Main Authors: D. J. Sandford, C. L. Beldon, R. E. Hibbins, N. J. Mitchell
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2010
• Subjects: Physics; QC1-999; Chemistry; QD1-999; Antarctic; Arctic; Esrange; Rothera; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-10273-2010; https://doaj.org/article/e83a0ae5e74847cc9a9d8936b2edabb9

Zonal and meridional winds have been measured in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere at polar latitudes using two ground-based meteor radars. One radar is located at Rothera (68° S, 68° W) in the Antarctic and has been operational since February 2005. The second radar is located at Esrange (68° N, 21° E) in the Arctic and has been operational since October 1999. Both radars have produced relatively continuous measurements. Here we consider measurements made up to the end of 2009. Both radars are of similar design and at conjugate geographical latitudes, making the results directly comparable and thus allowing investigation of the differences in the mean winds of the Antarctic and Arctic regions. The data from each radar have been used to construct climatologies of monthly-mean zonal and meridional winds at heights between 80 and 100 km. Both Antarctic and Arctic data sets reveal seasonally varying zonal and meridional winds in which the broad pattern repeats from year to year. In particular, the zonal winds display a strong shear in summer associated with the upper part of the westward summertime zonal jet. The winds generally reverse to eastward flow at heights of ~90 km. The zonal winds are eastward throughout the rest of the year. The meridional winds are generally equatorward over both sites, although brief episodes of poleward flow are often evident near the equinoxes and during winter. The strongest equatorward flows occur at heights of ~90 km during summer. There are significant differences between the mean winds observed in the Antarctic and Arctic. In particular, the westward winds in summer are stronger and occur earlier in the season in the Antarctic compared with the Arctic. The eastward winds evident above the summertime zonal wind reversal are significantly stronger in the Arctic. The summertime equatorward flow in the Antarctic is slightly weaker, but occurs over a greater depth than is the case in the Arctic. Comparisons of these observations with those of the URAP and HWM-07 empirical ...