Common-volume temperature measurements from Rayleigh-scatter and Na resonance lidars at Utah State University (41.74º N, 111.81º W)
Abstract
Rayleigh-scatter and resonance lidars, particularly sodium (Na) resonance lidar, have been the two dominant, ground-based techniques for acquiring temperature profiles in the mesosphere and mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) regions, respectively, for more than two decades. With these temperature measurements, the dynamics and long-term temperature trends of the MLT region can be studied. The Utah State University (USU) campus hosts a unique observatory that houses both a high-power, large-aperture Rayleigh lidar and a Na lidar. The USU Rayleigh lidar is one of two Rayleigh lidars in the world that can probe the mesosphere and thermosphere, which allowed the two-lidar temperature measurements to not only be coordinated in time but also in altitude (80-110 km). The comparison of the two sets of temperature measurements is important because the two lidar techniques derive temperatures using different observational techniques and analysis methods, each of which are based on different sets of physical assumptions. Along with whole-night temperature profiles, we will also compare hourly temperature perturbations from the two lidars and explore the effect of changing atmospheric composition in the MLT on the Rayleigh lidar temperature reduction method.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017AGUFMSA11A2240S
- Keywords:
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- 3332 Mesospheric dynamics;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES;
- 2471 Plasma waves and instabilities;
- IONOSPHERE;
- 2494 Instruments and techniques;
- IONOSPHERE;
- 2499 General or miscellaneous;
- IONOSPHERE