Study on 2002 sudden stratospheric warming, mesopher-lower thermospheric wind structure and dynamics and middle atmospheric structure, based on superDARN HF RADAR, LIDAR, Riometer, satellites and models.

• Main Author: Mbatha, Nkanyiso Bongumusa.
• Other Authors: Venkataraman, Sivakumar., Malinga, Sandile B., Pillay, Sadhasivan Rangan.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Radar transmitters; Rossby waves; Stratospheric circulation; Gravitational waves; Theses > Physics; Antarctic; SANAE; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10413/9731

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012. In this thesis, the dynamics and coupling in the middle atmosphere over the Southern Hemisphere are investigated using SuperDARN high frequency (HF) radar wind data, satellites, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), the South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) imaging riometer and models. In particular, the study focuses on the unprecedented 2002 major stratospheric warming and its role in coupling the middle atmosphere. The dynamics of the middle atmosphere is investigated in terms of mean wind, temperature, gravity waves and planetary wave activity. Studying the middle atmospheric thermal structure over Southern Africa is an important activity to improve the understanding of atmospheric dynamics of this region. Observation of a middle atmosphere thermal structure over Durban (29.9 S, 31.0 E, South Africa) using LIDAR data collected from April 1999 to July 2004 (277 nights), including closest overpasses of the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) and Halogen Occultation Experiments (HALOE) satellites, and the COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA-86) are presented in this thesis. The observations from the LIDAR instrument, satellites and CIRA-86 exhibit the presence of annual oscillation in the stratosphere, whereas in the mesosphere the semi-annual oscillation seems to dominate the annual oscillation at some levels. The stratopause is observed in the height range of 40-55 km for all the instruments, with the stratopause temperatures being 260- 270 K for the LIDAR, 250-260 K for the SABER, and 250-270 K for the HALOE. Data from the LIDAR, satellites and CIRA-86 model indicate almost the same thermal structure of the middle atmosphere over Durban. This indicates a good agreement between LIDAR, satellites and the CIRA-86 model. Mean wind and planetary waves are investigated on a climatological scale in this study. Mean wind observations from the SANAE SuperDARN HF radar are compared with ...