Climatology and trends of the middle atmospheric temperature (33-87 km) as seen by Rayleigh lidar over the south of France

Abstract

The observed temperature around 44°N, 0°W is in general colder than the mean temperature given in the COSPAR International Reference Atmosphere (1986) near 75 km and warmer above 80 km. A clear semi-annual variation is observed near 65 km with maxima occurring just after the equinoxes. The study of the short-term variability indicates clearly two frequency domains: long periods below 65 km with a maximum in December-January which relate to planetary waves and shorter periods above 65 km induced by the breaking of gravity waves. A correlation with the 11-yr solar cycle, negative in the stratosphere and positive in the mesosphere, is found to be well above the 95% confidence level with an amplitude larger in winter than in summer. -from Authors