Seasonal variations of O<sub>2</sub> atmospheric and OH(6−2) airglowand temperature at mid-latitudes from SATI observations

Abstract

Abstract. More than 3 years of airglow observations with a Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager (SATI) installed at the Sierra Nevada Observatory (37.06 • N, 3.38 • W) at 2900 m height have been analyzed. Values of the column emission rate and vertically averaged temperature of the O 2 atmospheric (0-1) band and of the OH Meinel (6-2) band from 1998 to 2002 have been presented. From these observations a clear seasonal variation of both emission rates and rotational temperatures is inferred at this latitude. It is found that the annual variation of the temperatures is larger than the semiannual variation, while for the emission rates the amplitudes are comparable.

Seasonal variations in the correlation of mesospheric OH temperature and radiance at midlatitudes

“…[29] Lopez-Gonzalez et al [2004], in a midlatitude study (37.1 N), reported a semiannual variation similar to this present study but with a large maximum at midwinter and a small maximum in summer. A similar seasonal variation was reported by Scheer and Reisin [2000] from the southern midlatitudes.…”

Climatology of planetary wave type oscillations with periods of 2–20 days derived from O<sub>2</sub> atmospheric and OH(6-2) airglow observations at mid-latitude with SATI

“…Year J F M A M J J A S O N D 1998 23 20 10 1999 17 14 9 5 5 15 5 10 10 10 2000 16 14 8 22 10 16 2001 5 14 11 14 8 5 6 13 18 6 2002 13 16 9 19 22 20 19 10 13 15 2005 17 21 12 2006 10 16 18 9 7 20 19 9 19 14 13 9 2007 16 15 17 19 22 23 15 18 17 n.total 4 4 6 5 4 5 5 5 5 8 6 6 SATI measurements at 37 • N have shown the presence of a clear annual variability in OH rotational temperatures while an annual modulation together with a semiannual modulation is found in O 2 rotational temperatures. Both semiannual and annual modulations have been clearly identified in both emission rates (see López-González et al, 2004, for a detailed discussion).…”

Seasonal and QBO variations in the OH nightglow emission observed by TIMED/SABER

“…They suggested that atmospheric tides played an important role in the semiannual oscillation. López‐González et al [2004] analyzed more than three years of the OH(6‐2) band airglow intensity observed at the Sierra Nevada Observatory (37.06°N, 3.38°W) and found that the amplitudes of the annual and semiannual variations of the intensity were comparable. Taylor et al [2005] analyzed the OH(6,2) band and O 2 (0‐1) band emissions observed by the CEDAR Mesospheric Temperature Mapper and found that the emissions varied with a period of about 181 days and a relative amplitude of 8%–9%, and the maxima of the emissions in spring were larger than those in autumn.…”