GOME meteoric ion and neutral species measurements

A valuable set of global atmospheric column densities of meteoric Mg, Mg+, Fe, and Fe+ is now available for the period June 1995 to 2002. These measurements provide a continuous measure at noon of these meteoric ion distributions with a temporal resolution that has been hitherto unavailable. The densities are based on analysis of nadir-viewed radiances in the 240 to 300 nm wavelength range obtained with the GOME UV/VIS spectrometer on the ERS-2 satellite. This instrument measures all wavelengths simultaneously with a wavelength resolution of 0.2 mm in the wavelength range of interest. Transition wavelengths include 285.2 nm for Mg and 279.55 nm and 280.27 nm for Mg+, and several wavelengths for Fe and Fe+. Representative examples of column densities of these species will be presented as a function of latitude, season, and solar conditions. The application of these data to the exploration of long- and short-term variations in the meteoroid fluxes impacting the Earth's atmosphere, and to the study of meteor ablation physics, metal ion chemistry, thermospheric winds, and ionospheric electric fields will be discussed.