Gravity waves (GWs) as well as solar tides are a key driving mechanism for the circulation in the Earth's atmosphere. The propagation of gravity waves is strongly affected by tidal waves as they ...modulate the mean background wind field and vice versa, which is not yet fully understood and not adequately implemented in many circulation models. The daylight-capable Rayleigh–Mie–Raman (RMR) lidar at Kühlungsborn (54∘ N, 12∘ E) typically provides temperature data to investigate both wave phenomena during one full day or several consecutive days in the middle atmosphere between 30 and 75 km altitude. Outstanding weather conditions in May 2016 allowed for an unprecedented 10-day continuous lidar measurement, which shows a large variability of gravity waves and tides on timescales of days. Using a one-dimensional spectral filtering technique, gravity and tidal waves are separated according to their specific periods or vertical wavelengths, and their temporal evolution is studied. During the measurement period a strong 24 h wave occurs only between 40 and 60 km and vanishes after a few days. The disappearance is related to an enhancement of gravity waves with periods of 4–8 h. Wind data provided by ECMWF are used to analyze the meteorological situation at our site. The local wind structure changes during the observation period, which leads to different propagation conditions for gravity waves in the last days of the measurement period and therefore a strong GW activity. The analysis indicates a further change in wave–wave interaction resulting in a minimum of the 24 h tide. The observed variability of tides and gravity waves on timescales of a few days clearly demonstrates the importance of continuous measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution to detect interaction phenomena, which can help to improve parametrization schemes of GWs in general circulation models.
Little is known about climate change effects in the transition region between the Earth's atmosphere and space, roughly at 80–120 km. Some of the earliest observations in this region come from ...noctilucent clouds (NLC) at ∼83‐km altitude. There is a long‐standing dispute whether NLC are indicators of climate change. We use model simulations for a time period of 138 years to study the impact of increasing CO2 and H2O on the development of NLC on centennial time scales. Since the beginning of industrialization the water vapor concentration mixing ratio at NLC heights has increased by ∼40% (1 ppmv) due to methane increase, whereas temperatures are nearly constant. The H2O increase has led to a large enhancement of NLC brightness. NLC presumably existed centuries earlier, but the chance to observe them by the naked eye was extremely small before the twentieth century, whereas it is likely to see several NLC per season in the modern era.
Plain Language Summary
In our paper we address a problem that is controversially disputed since several decades, namely, whether noctilucent clouds (NLC) in the middle atmosphere are indicators of climate change. NLC are a spectacular optical phenomenon in the summer season at midlatitudes. We show in our paper that (i) NLC are indeed indicators of anthropogenic activity, (ii) the reason for this is increasing water vapor (caused by methane increase), which significantly enhances the visibility of NLC; and (iii) contrary to common understanding, cooling of the middle atmosphere due to increased reduces(!) the visibility of NLC. NLC constitute the earliest observations in this height region. In our model we expose 40 million dust/ice particles to long‐term changes in the middle atmosphere, namely, for 138 years starting with the beginning of industrialization. The model is nudged to the real world in the lower atmosphere. Since the beginning of industrialization,the chance to observe a bright NLC has increased from just one per several centuries(!) to a few per year. We conclude that NLC are indeed an indicator for climate change.
Key Points
Simulations of trends of noctilucent clouds (NLC) are studied on centennial timescales
The visibility of NLC increases substantially due to water vapor increase, whereas cooling due to carbon dioxide increase has a negligible effect
NLC presumably existed in historical times, but the chance to see them was extremely small
The expected increase in climate change related methane emissions will result in an increase in middle atmospheric water vapor abundance. This will in turn amplify the brightness of noctilucent ...clouds (NLC). To examine how NLC will impact the absorption of solar radiation, we utilized both an atmospheric background model and a microphysical model spanning the period from 1950 to 2100. At a latitude of 69 ± 3°N, UV absorption at λ = 126 nm is projected to rise from ∼3% to ∼7%. In specific regions, the absorption may spike to approximately 30% by the year 2100. In the visible spectrum, we observe an absorption increase from 0.0030% in 1950 to 0.020% by 2100. Local absorption reach up to 0.35% by the year 2100. These trends are similar at 79 ± 3°N, but are smaller at 58 ± 3°N. Future average absorptions are comparable to solar cycle fluctuations, but local increases are significantly more pronounced. The ice mass contained in NLC is projected to surge from 677 to 1871 tons between 1950 and 2100.
Plain Language Summary
Noctilucent clouds (NLC) consist of water ice particles and appear in the summer season in the upper mesosphere at high/middle latitudes where temperatures are very low. Methane is photochemically converted to water vapor in the middle atmosphere. Therefore, the future increase of methane concentration will lead to an increase in water vapor, and to an enhancement of NLC occurrence and brightness. We apply an atmospheric background model and a microphysical ice particle model to study the associated absorption of solar radiation. At 69°N mean absorptions in the UV will increase from ∼3% to ∼7% from 1950 to 2100, respectively. Locally, the absorption can increase to ∼30% in 2100. In the visible (λ = 532 nm) the corresponding numbers are 0.0030% (1950) to 0.020% (2100), that is, an increase by a factor of ∼7, and local maxima up to 0.35% in 2100. Mean absorptions are comparable to variations throughout a solar cycle, but may locally be much larger. Effects on the photochemistry are therefore expected. The total amount of ice mass bound in NLC also increases with time, namely from 677 tons in 1950 to 1871 tons in 2100. NLC will be easier to observe by naked eye, that is, they will be more frequent and brighter.
Key Points
Noctilucent clouds (NLC) are ice clouds in the summer mesopause region at middle and polar latitudes
The expected methane related increase in water vapor at NLC heights will lead to more and larger ice particles
Larger ice particles will lead to an enhanced absorption of solar radiation
We analyze quiet‐time data from the Gravity Field and Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite as it overpassed the Southern Andes at z≃275 km on 5 July 2010 at 23 UT. We extract the 20 largest traveling ...atmospheric disturbances from the density perturbations and cross‐track winds using Fourier analysis. Using gravity wave (GW) dissipative theory that includes realistic molecular viscosity, we search parameter space to determine which hot spot traveling atmospheric disturbances are GWs. This results in the identification of 17 GWs having horizontal wavelengths λH = 170–1,850 km, intrinsic periods τIr = 11–54 min, intrinsic horizontal phase speeds cIH = 245–630 m/s, and density perturbations
ρ′/ρ¯∼ 0.03–7%. We unambiguously determine the propagation direction for 11 of these GWs and find that most had large meridional components to their propagation directions. Using reverse ray tracing, we find that 10 of these GWs must have been created in the mesosphere or thermosphere. We show that mountain waves (MWs) were observed in the stratosphere earlier that day and that these MWs saturated at z∼ 70–75 km from convective instability. We suggest that these 10 Gravity Field and Ocean Circulation Explorer hot spot GWs are likely tertiary (or higher‐order) GWs created from the dissipation of secondary GWs excited by the local body forces created from MW breaking. We suggest that the other GW is likely a secondary or tertiary (or higher‐order) GW. This study strongly suggests that the hot spot GWs over the Southern Andes in the quiet‐time middle winter thermosphere cannot be successfully modeled by conventional global circulation models where GWs are parameterized and launched in the troposphere or stratosphere.
Key Points
The GW dissipative dispersion and polarization relations were used to uniquely characterize the hot spot GWs
The hot spot GWs were medium to large scale, had periods <1 hr, and had horizontal intrinsic phase speeds cIH = 245–630 m/s
All of the hot spot GWs were likely secondary, tertiary, or higher‐order GWs from MW breaking
The C1‐ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Flensburg fell in Germany on September 12, 2019, in the daytime. We determined the atmospheric trajectory, velocity, and heliocentric orbit using one dedicated ...AllSky6 meteor camera and three casual video records of the bolide. It was found that the meteorite originated in the vicinity of the 5:2 resonance with Jupiter at heliocentric distance of 2.82 AU. When combined with the bolide energy reported by the United States government sensors (USGS), the preatmospheric diameter of the meteoroid was estimated to be 2–3 m and the mass to be 10,000–20,000 kg. The meteoroid fragmented heavily in the atmosphere at heights of 46–37 km, under dynamic pressures of 0.7–2 MPa. The recovery of just one meteorite suggests that only a very small part of the original mass reached the ground. The bolide velocity vector was compared with that reported by the USGS. There is good agreement in the radiant but the velocity value has been underestimated by the USGS by almost 1 km s−1.
We present an extensive data set of simultaneous temperature and wind measurements in the Arctic middle atmosphere. It consists of more than 300 h of Doppler Rayleigh lidar observations obtained ...during three January seasons (2012, 2014, and 2015) and covers the altitude range from 30 km up to about 85 km. The data set reveals large year-to-year variations in monthly mean temperatures and winds, which in 2012 are affected by a sudden stratospheric warming. The temporal evolution of winds and temperatures after that warming are studied over a period of 2 weeks, showing an elevated stratopause and the reformation of the polar vortex. The monthly mean temperatures and winds are compared to data extracted from the Integrated Forecast System of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM07). Lidar and ECMWF data show good agreement of mean zonal and meridional winds below ≈ 55 km altitude, but we also find mean temperature, zonal wind, and meridional wind differences of up to 20 K, 20 m s−1, and 5 m s−1, respectively. Differences between lidar observations and HWM07 data are up to 30 m s−1. From the fluctuations of temperatures and winds within single nights we extract the potential and kinetic gravity wave energy density (GWED) per unit mass. It shows that the kinetic GWED is typically 5 to 10 times larger than the potential GWED, the total GWED increases with altitude with a scale height of ≈ 16 km. Since temporal fluctuations of winds and temperatures are underestimated in ECMWF, the total GWED is underestimated as well by a factor of 3–10 above 50 km altitude. Similarly, we estimate the energy density per unit mass for large-scale waves (LWED) from the fluctuations of nightly mean temperatures and winds. The total LWED is roughly constant with altitude. The ratio of kinetic to potential LWED varies with altitude over 2 orders of magnitude. LWEDs from ECMWF data show results similar to the lidar data. From the comparison of GWED and LWED, it follows that large-scale waves carry about 2 to 5 times more energy than gravity waves.
Noctilucent clouds (NLC) are sensitive indicators in the upper mesosphere, reflecting changes in the background atmosphere. Studying NLC responses to the solar cycle is important for understanding ...solar-induced changes and assessing long-term climate trends in the upper mesosphere. Additionally, it enhances our understanding of how increases in greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere impact the Earth’s upper mesosphere and climate. This study presents long-term trends in the response of NLC and the background atmosphere to the 11-year solar cycle variations. We utilised model simulations from the Leibniz Institute Middle Atmosphere (LIMA) and the Mesospheric Ice Microphysics and Transport (MIMAS) over 170 years (1849 to 2019), covering 15 solar cycles. Background temperature and water vapour (H2O) exhibit an apparent response to the solar cycle, with an enhancement post-1960, followed by an acceleration of greenhouse gas concentrations. NLC properties, such as maximum brightness (βmax), calculated as the maximum backscatter coefficient, altitude of βmax (referred to as NLC altitude) and ice water content (IWC), show responses to solar cycle variations that increase over time. This increase is primarily due to an increase in background water vapour concentration caused by an increase in methane (CH4). The NLC altitude positively responds to the solar cycle mainly due to solar cycle-induced temperature changes. The response of NLC properties to the solar cycle varies with latitude, with most NLC properties showing larger and similar responses at higher latitudes (69° N and 78° N) than mid-latitudes (58° N).
During winter the wind field in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) at middle and polar latitudes is characterized by a strong variability due to enhanced planetary wave activity and related ...stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events. Such events are considered as distinct vertical coupling processes influencing the atmosphere below and above the stratosphere. In the last 12 years, an enhanced number of SSW, compared to the period from 1989 to 1998, has been observed in the northern hemisphere. Every SSW is connected with different effects in the MLT (strength and temporal development of wind reversals, temperature changes, wave activity, longitudinal dependence). To characterize the average behavior of the mesospheric response to strong SSWs, we combine high-resolution wind measurements from MF- and meteor radar at Andenes (69°N, 16°E) with global temperature observations from MLS aboard the Aura satellite for SSW events with a return to the middle atmosphere normal winter condition afterwards. Our aim is to identify characteristic wave patterns which are common to the majority of these events and to define the average characteristics of the SSW-related wave activity in the MLT. These will be compared to the relatively quiet winter 2011 with only a short minor warming without a wind reversal and to the wave activity in 2009 and 2010. The results show clear signatures of enhanced mesospheric planetary wave activity before and during the SSW and an earlier onset of the short term wind reversal in the mesosphere compared to wind and temperature changes in the stratosphere. The strong eastward winds at altitudes below 80km after SSW are connected with an enhanced gravity wave activity caused by changed filter conditions. This provides evidence for a strong modulation of semidiurnal tidal amplitudes before and during SSW by planetary waves. However, no clear relation has been found in the temporal development of tides relative to the onset of the selected SSW events.
► Mean waves as composite during SSW from mesospheric winds and MLS temperatures. ► PW is dominated by a 10-day wave synchronously with SSW. ► Weaker 16-day wave before the SSW. ► Evidence for PW modulation of semidiurnal tides.
Abstract
The eruption of the submarine Hunga volcano in January 2022 was associated with a powerful blast that injected volcanic material to altitudes up to 58 km. From a combination of various types ...of satellite and ground-based observations supported by transport modeling, we show evidence for an unprecedented increase in the global stratospheric water mass by 13% relative to climatological levels, and a 5-fold increase of stratospheric aerosol load, the highest in the last three decades. Owing to the extreme injection altitude, the volcanic plume circumnavigated the Earth in only 1 week and dispersed nearly pole-to-pole in three months. The unique nature and magnitude of the global stratospheric perturbation by the Hunga eruption ranks it among the most remarkable climatic events in the modern observation era, with a range of potential long-lasting repercussions for stratospheric composition and climate.
Wind profile information throughout the entire upper stratosphere and lower
mesosphere (USLM) is important for the understanding of atmospheric dynamics
but became available only recently, thanks to ...developments in remote sensing
techniques and modelling approaches. However, as wind measurements from these
altitudes are rare, such products have generally not yet been validated with
(other) observations. This paper presents the first long-term intercomparison
of wind observations in the USLM by co-located microwave radiometer and lidar
instruments at Andenes, Norway (69.3∘ N, 16.0∘ E). Good
correspondence has been found at all altitudes for both horizontal wind
components for nighttime as well as daylight conditions. Biases are mostly
within the random errors and do not exceed 5–10 m s−1, which is less than 10 %
of the typically encountered wind speeds. Moreover, comparisons of the
observations with the major reanalyses and models covering this altitude
range are shown, in particular with the recently released ERA5, ECMWF's
first reanalysis to cover the whole USLM region. The agreement between
models and observations is very good in general, but temporally limited
occurrences of pronounced discrepancies (up to 40 m s−1) exist. In the
article's Appendix the possibility of obtaining nighttime wind information
about the mesopause region by means of microwave radiometry is investigated.
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