Radar investigations of the mesosphere, stratosphere and the troposphere in Svalbard

• Main Author: Jurgen Rottger
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Max-Planck-Institut fur Aeronomie 2000
• Subjects: Longyearbyen; Svalbard; EISCAT; Spitzbergen; Advances in polar upper atmosphere research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=6316; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00006316/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=6316&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

This paper deals with observations of the mesosphere with the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR) and of the middle and lower atmosphere (mesopause, lower stratosphere and troposphere) with the SOUSY Svalbard Radar (SSR), which are operated in the close vicinity of Longyearbyen on Spitzbergen/Svalbard. The scientific aims for studies of this altitude region are summarized. We briefly describe these radar systems and their operation principles. Examples of troposphere and lower stratosphere structure and dynamics, which are obtained with the SSR, are presented. First observations of Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes with the SSR and the ESR are introduced. Meteor echoes detected with the SSR are briefly described and the first D-region observations with the ESR demonstrate its capability to perform observations down to altitudes below 60 km. Finally some ideas are put forward how to continue and establish collaborations for the use of the SSR in the coming years.