scostep 2010 (stp12) - Leibniz-Institut für Atmosphärenphysik an der ...

STP12 Abstracts
Berlin, 12 - 16 July 2010
SCOSTEP Symposium 2010
Long period variation in the nightglow
Reid Iain
This work presents 13 years of measurements of two airglow emission intensities from the
Buckland Park (34.9°S, 138.6°E) field site near Adelaide, Australia, and adds to a number of
recent studies which have greatly improved our understanding of the global morphology of
the Mesosphere Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region airglow. The close link between the
underlying chemistry, dynamics and temperature structure of the MLT-region and the clear
interdependence of the parameters make this a particularly important topic. In this paper, we
consider the seasonal variability of the 730 nm OH (8,3) and 558 nm OI nightglow emission
intensity over a period covering one solar cycle and compare them with OH (6,2) and O2
(0,1) measurements from an imager located the same site and TIME-GCM results reported by
Gelinas et al (2008), and with WINDII measurements of OI and OH intensity reported by Liu
et al. (2008). These results form a baseline for future intercomparison with the other
instruments at the Buckland Park (BP) field site, which provide measurements of winds and
rotational temperatures and with satellite and model results. We do this as a first step to better
understanding the aeronomy of the MLT region at a lower middle latitude site.
Gelinas, L. J., J. H. Hecht, R. L. Walterscheid, R. G. Roble, and J. M. Woithe (2008), A
seasonal study of mesospheric temperatures and emission intensities at Adelaide and Alice
Springs, J. Geophys. Res., 113, A01304, doi:10.1029/2007JA012587.
Liu, G., G. G. Shepherd, and R. G. Roble, Seasonal variations of the nighttime O(1S) and OH
airglow emission rates at mid-to-high latitudes in the context of the large-scale circulation, J.
Geophys. Res., 113, A06302, doi:10.1029/2007JA012854, 2008