scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Topic

Mesosphere

About: Mesosphere is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4210 publications have been published within this topic receiving 129666 citations.


Papers
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the MSIS-86 empirical model has been extended into the mesosphere and lower atmosphere to provide a single analytic model for calculating temperature and density profiles representative of the climatological average for various geophysical conditions.
Abstract: The MSIS-86 empirical model has been revised in the lower thermosphere and extended into the mesosphere and lower atmosphere to provide a single analytic model for calculating temperature and density profiles representative of the climatological average for various geophysical conditions. Tabulations from the Handbook for MAP 16 are the primary guide for the lower atmosphere and are supplemented by historical rocket and incoherent scatter data in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. Low-order spherical harmonics and Fourier series are used to describe the major variations throughout the atmosphere including latitude, annual, semiannual, and simplified local time and longitude variations. While month to month details cannot be completely represented, lower atmosphere temperature data are fit to an overall standard deviation of 3 K and pressure to 2%. Comparison with rocket and other data indicates that the model represents current knowledge of the climatological average reasonably well, although there is some conflict as to details near the mesopause.

2,359 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of mean winds and gravity waves on the mean momentum budget were investigated and it was shown that the existence of critical levels in the mesosphere significantly limits the ability of gravity waves to generate turbulence.
Abstract: It has been suggested (Lindzen, 1967, 1968a, b; Lindzen and Blake, 1971; Hodges, 1969) that turbulence in the upper mesosphere arises from the unstable breakdown of tides and gravity waves. Crudely speaking, it was expected that sufficient turbulence would be generated to prevent the growth of wave amplitude with height (roughly as (basic pressure)−1/2). This work has been extended to allow for the generation of turbulence by smaller amplitude waves, the effects of mean winds on the waves, and the effects of the waves on the mean momentum budget. The effects of mean winds, while of relatively small importance for tides, are crucial for internal gravity waves originating in the troposphere. Winds in the troposphere and stratosphere sharply limit the phase speeds of waves capable of reaching the upper mesosphere. In addition, the existence of critical levels in the mesosphere significantly limits the ability of gravity waves to generate turbulence, while the breakdown of gravity waves contributes to the development of critical levels. The results of the present study suggest that at middle latitudes in winter, eddy coefficients may peak at relatively low altitudes (50 km) and at higher altitudes in summer and during sudden warmings (70–80 km), and decrease with height rather sharply above these levels. Rocket observations are used to estimate momentum deposition by gravity waves. Accelerations of about 100 m/s/day are suggested. Such accelerations are entirely capable of producing the warm winter and cold summer mesopauses.

1,967 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the possibility that a significant part of the energy of the planetary-wave disturbances of the troposphere may propagate into the upper atmosphere and found that the effective index of refraction for the planetary waves depends primarily on the distribution of the mean zonal wind with height.
Abstract: The possibility that a significant part of the energy of the planetary-wave disturbances of the troposphere may propagate into the upper atmosphere is investigated. The propagation is analogous to the transmission of electromagnetic radiation in heterogeneous media. It is found that the effective index of refraction for the planetary waves depends primarily on the distribution of the mean zonal wind with height. Energy is trapped (reflected) in regions where the zonal winds are easterly or are large and westerly. As a consequence, the summer circumpolar anticyclone and the winter circumpolar cyclone in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere are little influenced by lower atmosphere motions. Energy may escape into the mesosphere near the equinoxes, when the upper-atmosphere zonal flow reverses. At these times tunneling of the energy through a reflecting barrier is also possible. Most of the time, however, there appears to be little mechanical coupling on a planetary scale between the upper and lower atmospheres.

1,604 citations

Book
21 May 1984
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the evolution of the Earth's upper and lower stratosphere and its evolution in the Middle and lower ionosphere, and present a model of the middle and upper stratosphere.
Abstract: Preface. 1: The Middle Atmosphere and its Evolution. 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Evolution of the Earth's Atmosphere. 1.3 Anthropogenic Perturbations. 2: Chemical Concepts in the Atmosphere. 2.1 Introduction. 2.2 Energy Levels of Molecules. 2.3 Thermodynamic Considerations. 2.4 Elementary Chemical Kinetics. 2.5 Heterogeneous and Multiphase Reactions. 2.6 Photolysis Processes. 2.7 Excited Species in the Middle Atmosphere. 3: Dynamics and Transport. 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Structure of the Atmosphere and Some Observed Dynamical Characteristics. 3.3 Fundamental Description of Atmospheric Dynamics. 3.4 Atmospheric Waves. 3.5 Effects of Dynamics on Chemical Species: Transport. 3.6 Dynamics and Meridional Transport in Two Dimensions: A Conceptual View. 3.7 The Importance of Wave Transience and Dissipation. 3.8 Vertical Transport above the Mesopause. 3.9 Models of the Middle Atmosphere. 4: Radiation. 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Definitions. 4.3 Extraterrestrial Solar Radiation. 4.4 The Attenuation of Solar radiation in the Atmosphere. 4.5. Radiative Transfer. 4.6 The Thermal Effects of Radiation. 4.7 Photochemical Effects of Radiation. 5: Composition and Chemistry. 5.1 General. 5.2 Oxygen Compounds. 5.3 Carbon Compounds. 5.4 Hydrogen Compounds. 5.5 Nitrogen Compounds. 5.6 Halogen Compounds. 5.7 Stratospheric Aerosols and Clouds. 5.8 Generalized ozone Balance. 6: Ozone Perturbations. 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 The Photochemically-Controlled Upper Stratosphere and mesosphere: 25-75 km. 6.3 Lower Stratospheric Ozone Depletion: Observations and Explanations. 6.4 Summary and Outlook. 7: The Ions. 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 Formation of Ions in the Middle Atmosphere. 7.3 Positive Ion Chemistry. 7.4 Negative Ion Chemistry. 7.5 Effect of Ionic Processes on Neutral Constituents. 7.6 Radio Waves in the Lower Ionosphere. Appendices. Appendix 1: Physical Constants and Other Data. Appendix 2: Conversion Factors and Multiplying Prefixes. Appendix 3: Rate Coefficients forSecond-Order Gas-Phase Reactions. Appendix 4: Rate Coefficients for Gas-Phase Associating Reactions. Appendix 5: Surface Reaction Probability. Appendix 6: Atmospheric Profiles. Figure acknowledgements. Index.

1,406 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of breaking gravity waves on the dynamics and chemical composition of the 60- to 110-km region has been investigated with a two-dimensional dynamical/chemical model that includes a parameterization of gravity wave drag and diffusion.
Abstract: The influence of breaking gravity waves on the dynamics and chemical composition of the 60- to 110-km region has been investigated with a two-dimensional dynamical/chemical model that includes a parameterization of gravity wave drag and diffusion. The momentum deposited by breaking waves at mesospheric altitudes reverses the zonal winds, drives a strong mean meridional circulation, and produces a very cold summer and warm winter mesopause, in general agreement with observations. The seasonal variations of the computed eddy diffusion coefficient are consistent with the behavior of mesospheric turbulence inferred from MST radar echoes. In particular, it is found that eddy diffusion is strong in summer and winter but much weaker at the equinoxes and that this seasonal behavior has important consequences for the distribution of chemical species. Comparison between computed atomic oxygen and ozone, and the abundances of these constituents inferred from the 557.7-nm and 1.27-μm airglow emissions, reveals excellent agreement. The consistency between model results and these diverse types of observations lends strong support to the hypothesis that gravity waves play a very important role in determining the zonally averaged structure of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere.

805 citations


Network Information
Related Topics (5)
Solar wind
26.1K papers, 780.2K citations
93% related
Climate model
22.2K papers, 1.1M citations
86% related
Atmosphere
30.8K papers, 737.8K citations
85% related
Lithosphere
14.5K papers, 723.8K citations
83% related
Sea surface temperature
21.2K papers, 874.7K citations
83% related
Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023113
2022195
202181
202071
201979
201872