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Lidar observations of wave-like structure in the atmospheric sodium layerThe University of Illinois (Urbana) lidar system has been developed to study the atmospheric sodium layer near 90 km altitude through the mechanism of resonance scattering. The photocount data are processed using digital smoothing filters to obtain continuous estimates of the sodium density versus altitude. The filter cutoff frequency is related to the height resolution and accuracy of the estimated profile. Lidar photocount data processed using this filtering technique show wave-like structures in the sodium layer which move downward with time. The waves have typical wavelengths of 3-15 km and phase velocities of less than 1 m/sec. The movement of these structures seems to be independent of the motion of the bottomside of the layer, which also has been observed to move up or down by as much as 2 km over a period of a few hours.
Document ID
19780064125
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Rowlett, J. R.
(Illinois Univ. Urbana, IL, United States)
Gardner, C. S.
(Illinois Univ. Urbana, IL, United States)
Richter, E. S.
(Illinois Univ. Urbana, IL, United States)
Sechrist, C. F., Jr.
(Illinois, University Urbana, Ill., United States)
Date Acquired
August 9, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1978
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 5
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
78A48034
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF ATM-77-00933
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGR-14-005-181
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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