Wintertime density perturbations near 50 km in relation to latitudeStandard and reference atmospheres which depict the horizontal distribution of air density in the stratosphere and mesosphere are not realistic in that they do not provide information on the large departures from standard that may occur during a given month, nor on the time- and space-scales of atmospheric perturbations responsible for these departures. In the present paper, it is shown how this information can be obtained from a special analysis of satellite radiance measurements. Plots of the mean zonal radiance, obtained with the VTPR instrument, and the corresponding 50-km density show not only the expected strong poleward gradient of density, but also a strong density surge from late December to early January, affecting all latitudes.
Document ID
19780031081
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Quiroz, R. S. (U.S. Weather Bureau, National Meteorological Center Camp Springs, Md., United States)
Date Acquired
August 9, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1977
Subject Category
Geophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: Conference on Aerospace and Aeronautical Meteorology and Symposium on Remote Sensing from Satellites