Temperature profiles in the MLT region using radar-meteor trail decay times: Comparison with TIMED/SABER observations

Abstract

A method for obtaining the height profiles of the temperature in the MLT region using the radar-meteor trail decay times is discussed. The present method combines the two existing methods for estimating the temperature-pressure parameter and the temperature from the meteor radar observations. Using these two measurements, pressure is obtained around 90 km and subsequently the height profile of pressure is obtained in the MLT region by assuming a scale height of 5-7 km. The height profile of the pressure is then used to obtain the temperature profile. The real-time pressure measurements are used to obtain the temperature profiles. Day-to-Day variability of the pressure around 90 km is compared with the monthly mean pressure values of CIRA-86 model and the temperature/pressure profiles are compared with the TIMED/SABER satellite measurements. The comparison of radar and SABER observations is very encouraging and reinforces the need of real-time pressure measurements for estimation of temperature from radar-meteor trail decay time technique. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.