On Understanding the Latitudinal and Longitudinal Differences in Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the study of the phenomenon of polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) through comparison of meteor radar measurements from Resolute Bay and Svalbard with additional MF radar measurements from stations located in Alaska and three radars located in the European sector at 78 N, 69 N, and 68 N latitudes. The mesopause winds, echo power strengths, and mesopause temperature estimates derived from these radar measurements at both stations would be compared for simultaneous operations. The primary motivation for this research is to examine the question as to whether cold mesopause temperatures are the only factor that underlies the production of these echoes. Current preliminary evidence suggests that latitudinal and longitudinal differences in mesopause water vapor composition might also be a factor. These measurements would be supplemented with studies related to observations obtained in the Antarctica at McMurdo and at the Peruvian Machu Picchu site (62 S, 58 W).