Polar mesosphere and lower thermosphere dynamics: 1. Mean wind and gravity wave climatologies

Abstract

Mean wind and gravity wave climatologies are presented for the polar mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The data were derived using MF radars at Davis (69°S, 78°E) and Syowa (69°S, 40°E) in the Antarctic and Poker Flat (65°N, 147°W) and Andenes (69°N, 16°E) in the Arctic. The dynamics of the Antarctic MLT are found to be significantly different from the Arctic MLT. Summer maxima in both the westward and equatorward winds occur closer to the solstice in the Antarctic than in the Arctic. The greater symmetry around the solstice suggests radiative effects may play a greater role in controlling the state of the Antarctic MLT than in the Arctic, where dynamical effects appear to be more important. Gravity wave observations also suggest that wave drag may be greater in the Arctic than in the Antarctic. The equatorward flow near the mesopause persists later in summer in the Arctic than in the Antarctic, as do observations of polar mesospheric clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes. All three phenomena begin at about the same time in each hemisphere, but end later in the Arctic than in the Antarctic. It is proposed that the magnitude of the meridional winds can be used as a proxy for gravity wave driving and the consequent adiabatic cooling in the MLT. Seasonal variations in gravity wave activity are predominately combinations of annual and semiannual components. Significant hemispheric differences are observed for both the timing and magnitude of these seasonal variations. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.