On tidal variability and the existence of planetary wave-like oscillations in the upper thermosphere—I. Observations of tidal variability

The evidence for the existence of tidal variability as observed in the meridional thermospheric wind (approx. 300 km height) is presented for a set of eight ionosonde locations (three in the northern hemisphere and five in the southern hemisphere). The data set corresponds to a full year (1984) of h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics Vol. 56; no. 8; pp. 901 - 912
Main Author Canziani, Pablo Osvaldo
Format Book Review Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Elsevier B.V 1994
Pergamon Press
Subjects
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Physics of the high neutral atmosphere
Tides, waves, convection, winds, turbulence
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Meridional wind
Thermosphere
Variability
Oscillation
Diurnal wave
Planetary wave
Upper atmosphere
Atmospheric tide
Semidiurnal tide
Atmospheric wave
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Summary:The evidence for the existence of tidal variability as observed in the meridional thermospheric wind (approx. 300 km height) is presented for a set of eight ionosonde locations (three in the northern hemisphere and five in the southern hemisphere). The data set corresponds to a full year (1984) of hourly values. The detected variability can be seen in the tidal components of the meridional wind. The diurnal and semidiurnal components are spectrally analysed. The quarterly spectra show that the tidal amplitudes oscillate with periods between 2 and 60 days. The more important oscillations have periods from 15 to 3 days. No direct link between solar and magnetic activity indices was detected. Possible reasons for the observed tidal variability are discussed in the light of the current theory developed for the mesosphere and lower thermosphere.
ISSN:0021-9169
DOI:10.1016/0021-9169(94)90152-X