Noctilucent clouds and wave dynamics: Observations at Sondrestrom, Greenland

Abstract

Rayleigh Lidar measurements of the arctic summer stratosphere and mesosphere have been conducted routinely since 1994 at the Sondrestrom atmospheric research facility near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (67.0N, 50.9W). Between 1994 and 1996, seventeen separate events of noctilucent clouds (NLCs), as well as corresponding stratospheric wave structure, have been observed. We present in this study two main results: 1) the occurrence of persistent quasi-monochromatic wave structure in the stratosphere having observed vertical wavelengths of 8 to 12 km and observed temporal periods of approximately 2-3 hours, and 2) evidence that the strength of such lower altitude waves may be associated with the overall strength of the observed NLC volume backscatter coefficient.