Polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) a southern hemisphere perspective
Abstract
The existence of Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes PMSE in the Southern Hemisphere SH has recently been confirmed using HF radar Ogawa et al 2002 MST radar Morris et al 2004 and a Dynasonde Jarvis et al 2005 following earlier observations using MST radar Woodman et al 1999 These studies spanned the geographic latitudes 62 1 r S Machu Picchu 68 6 r S Davis 69 0 r S Syowa and 75 5 r S Halley Bay The emerging array of SH SuperDARN radars provide an opportunity to extend the spatial coverage of PMSE observations An understanding of the occurrence and intensity of PMSE against latitude in the SH is needed to facilitate a comparison with the better spatial coverage of Northern Hemisphere NH PMSE observations Such a comparison will contribute to the ongoing debate as to whether PMSE can provide a proxy for mesosphere temperature and thus shed light on the existence of any interhemispheric asymmetry or otherwise in the polar mesosphere regions The argument for different polar mesosphere environments spawned in part by the reported lack of SH PMSE observations Recent PMSE reflectivity and intensity results from Davis 68 6 r S and Andenes 69 0 r N are given The characteristics and morphology of PMSE events above these Antarctic stations are considered in the context of the thermal and dynamical state of the mesosphere as deduced from satellite i e SABER and AURA and radar i e MF and MST observations respectively A brief account of recent coincident PMSE MST radar and Polar Mesospheric Cloud PMC
- Publication:
-
36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006cosp...36.2189M