Review lecture - Rocket studies of atmospheric tides

Abstract

Diurnal and semidiurnal oscillations in the stratosphere and mesosphere as revealed by rocket techniques are reviewed in relation to routine M. R. N. launchings, grenade experiments, and diurnal launch series. Height profiles of phase and amplitude are interpreted as a superposition of modes and feature propagating modes of a higher order than the leading diurnal or semidiurnal modes. Such modes vary between different observing dates and often appear as a dominant part of an oscillation. Their excitation and propagation are discussed with reference to water vapour distribution, correspondence between distribution of heat source and structure of mode (in latitude, longitude and height), and damping. Comparisons are made between observed and theoretical diurnal oscillations at high latitude where negative modes predominate and at low latitude where positive modes predominate. The role of the stratopause region of diurnal heating in opposing the tropospherically generated (1, 1) mode of oscillation is discussed and the possible production of variations in heating at the base of the thermosphere is pointed out.

Tidal signatures in temperature data from CRISTA 1 mission

“…Longitudinal variations in the wind amplitude of the diurnal tide were observed and attributed to the effects of nonmigrating tides [Khattatov et al, 1996;Wu et al, 1996;Hagan et al, 1997]. In parallel with the UARS measurements, winds from radars have been used to develop climatologies of tidal behavior at individual stations [Franke and Thorsen, 1993 While in the past 10-15 years the measurements of most importance in the determination of tidal amplitudes have been wind measurements from radars and UARS, early work was based on both wind and temperature measurements from rockets and balloons [Hoxit and Henry, 1973;Groves, 1976;Groves, 1980]. In the 1980s, temperature retrievals from satellite data were reported [Hitchman and Leovy, 1985;Brownscombe et al, 1985] and provided the first global information to the community.…”

“…The themes of particular interest outlined in these papers, namely the nature of the tropospheric and stratospheric forcing, the identity of the observed tidal modes, seasonal variations in the tidal amplitudes, the effect of filtering by the background wind and temperature fields, the determination of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere as seen from UARS. This work showed the wind amplitudes to be larger above 90 km than those derived from MF radar measurements [see also Burrage et While in the past 10-15 years the measurements of most importance in the determination of tidal amplitudes have been wind measurements from radars and UARS, early work was based on both wind and temperature measurements from rockets and balloons [Hoxit and Henry, 1973;Groves, 1976;Groves, 1980]. In the 1980s, temperature retrievals from satellite data were reported [Hitchman and Leovy, 1985;Brownscombe et al, 1985] and provided the first global information to the community.…”