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(a) Temperature profiles of rocketsondes (R) and NRLMSISE-00 model predictions (N); (b) temperature of predictions minus measurements; and (c) mean (red line), absolute mean (dotted lines), and standard deviation of 5-day temperature differences (blue line).
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In November 2004, five TK-1 meteorological rockets were launched at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China for the first time. The observations are compared with models, reanalysis, and satellite datasets. The mean differences of temperature between the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) and the rocketsondes ar...
Citations
... Meteorological-rocket sounding is the only in situ means to directly and accurately measure the atmospheric environment in near space. Its detection data is widely used in the study of the structure and element distribution of the middle and upper atmospheres [11][12][13][14]. Currently, the two most widely used technologies for meteorological rockets are the measurement of ...
... The unrealistic features observed at the upper model levels are attributed, in part, to the inherent damping effect on the reanalysis data [29]. Similar conclusions were drawn by Z. Sheng et al. [14] through comparing rocket data with both the WACCM model and HWM model wind fields. The differences between the MERRA reanalysis wind field and the rocket-detected wind field can be attributed to a few factors. ...
As an important means of in situ detection in near space, meteorological rockets can provide a high-precision distribution analysis of atmospheric elements. However, there are currently few studies on the principles of meteorological-rocket detection and the application of rocket-sounding data. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by providing a detailed introduction to the detection principle of a meteorological rocket launched in the East China Sea in November 2022. Moreover, empirical models, satellite data, and reanalysis data were selected for comparison and verification with the rocket-sounding data. Furthermore, the accuracy of these widely used datasets was studied based on the rocket-sounding data in the near space over the East China Sea. Additionally, gravity-wave power–frequency spectra were extracted using the maximum entropy method from both the rocket-sounding data and the remote-sensing data. Furthermore, the relationship between gravity waves and Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) was investigated by analyzing the gravity-wave energy and the Richardson number. The research findings indicate that among the remote-sensing data describing the atmospheric environment over the launch site, the COSMIC occultation data is more accurate compared with the SABER data. The wind-field distribution derived from rocket detection is consistent with the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis data, while also providing a more detailed description of the wind field. The main wavelengths of gravity waves extracted from rocket-sounding data are consistently smaller than those obtained from satellite remote-sensing data, indicating that rocket sounding is capable of capturing more intricate structures of gravity waves. The good correspondence between the peaks of gravity-wave energy and the regions where KHI occurs indicates that there is a strong interaction between gravity waves and KHI in the middle atmosphere.
... There are various techniques of remote sensing atmospheric flows, in particular, Doppler measurements of O 2 and OH emission lines with the Fabry-Perot interferometer [9] or radar sounding [10] that provide information about wind speed in the middle and upper atmosphere. Tropospheric winds could be measured with infrared lidars [11] and with the help of in situ probes [12]. A capability of remote wind speed Doppler measurements up to 50 km height employing heterodyne spectroscopy in the NIR spectral range has been recently demonstrated [13]. ...
We present the project of a 2U CubeSat format spaceborne multichannel laser heterodyne spectroradiometer (MLHS) for studies of the Earth's atmosphere upper layers in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral range (1258, 1528, and 1640 nm). A spaceborne MLHS operating in the solar occultation mode onboard CubeSat platform, is capable of simultaneous vertical profiling of CO 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 , and O 2 , as well as Doppler wind measurements, in the tangent heights range of 5-50 km. We considered the low Earth orbit for the MLHS deployment and analyzed the expected surface coverage and spatial resolution during one year of operations. A ground-based prototype of the MLHS for CO 2 and CH 4 molecular absorption measurements with an ultra-high spectral resolution of 0.0013 cm −1 is presented along with the detailed description of its analytical characteristics and capabilities. Implementation of a multichannel configuration of the heterodyne receiver (four receivers per one spectral channel) provides a significant improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio with the reasonable exposure time typical for observations in the solar occultation mode. Finally, the capability of building up a tomographic picture of sounded gas concentration distributions provided by high spectral resolution is discussed.
... Rocketsondes (Schmidlin, 1981) can reach heights of 100 km, providing high-resolution temperature information in the upper stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. Rocketsondes are not operationally assimilated due to the significant installations and costs to launch, which has led to sparse temporal and spatial sampling, with the last known campaign occurring in 2004 (Sheng et al., 2015). ...
To advance our understanding of the stratosphere, high-quality observational datasets of the stratosphere are needed. It is commonplace that reanalysis datasets are used to conduct stratospheric studies. However, the accuracy of these reanalyses at these heights is hard to infer due to a lack of in situ measurements. Satellite measurements provide one source of temperature information. As some satellite information is already assimilated into reanalyses, the direct comparison of satellite temperatures to the reanalysis is not truly independent. Stratospheric lidars use Rayleigh scattering to measure density in the middle and upper atmosphere, allowing temperature profiles to be derived for altitudes from 30 km (where Mie scattering due to stratospheric aerosols becomes negligible) to 80–90 km (where the signal-to-noise ratio begins to drop rapidly). The Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) contains several lidars at different latitudes that have measured atmospheric temperatures since the 1970s, resulting in a long-running upper-stratospheric temperature dataset. These temperature datasets are useful for validating reanalysis datasets in the stratosphere, as they are not assimilated into reanalyses. Here, stratospheric temperature data from lidars in the Northern Hemisphere between 1990–2017 were compared with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA-Interim and ERA5 reanalyses. To give confidence to any bias found, temperature data from NASA's EOS Microwave Limb Sounder were also compared to ERA-Interim and ERA5 at points over the lidar sites. In ERA-Interim a cold bias of −3 to −4 K between 10 and 1 hPa was found when compared to both measurement systems. Comparisons with ERA5 found a small bias of magnitude 1 K which varies between cold and warm bias with height between 10 and 1 hPa, indicating a good thermal representation of the middle atmosphere up to 1 hPa. A further comparison was undertaken looking at the temperature bias by year to see the effects of the assimilation of the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) satellite data and the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate GPS Radio Occultation (COSMIC GPSRO) data on stratospheric temperatures within the aforementioned ERA analyses. It was found that ERA5 was sensitive to the introduction of COSMIC GPSRO in 2007 with the reduction of the cold bias above 1 hPa. In addition to this, the introduction of AMSU-A data caused variations in the temperature bias between 1–10 hPa between 1997–2008.
... It is of great importance in understanding the energy budget and momentum transfer in the atmosphere [1,2]. However, as the turbulence of the free atmosphere is episodic and complex, and the detection of the free atmosphere is limited by the quality (altitude and resolution) [3][4][5], the study of the atmospheric turbulence in the free layer is still relatively undeveloped. Due to the lack of understanding of the turbulence in the free atmosphere, we are unable to grasp its changing laws, which has severely affected the flight safety of aircraft in the free atmosphere and limited the skill of NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction) and climate models [6][7][8][9]. ...
In this article, Thorpe analysis, which often retrieves the characteristics of mixing in the free atmosphere from balloon sounding data, is applied to the data of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC). We find that the COSMIC data can well retrieve the strongest mixed layer in the troposphere (SMLT) altitude, and can reveal the basic variation trend of the SMLT thickness and Thorpe scale . We use COSMIC data to reveal the global spatial and temporal distribution of the SMLT from 2007 to 2015 and analyze the fluctuation period of the SMLT altitude with Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT), we find that the variation of the SMLT altitude is influenced by the dual effects of terrain and solar radiation.
... Previous studies have reported that stratospheric circulation anomalies have an important effect on the tropospheric weather and climate (e.g., Baldwin and Dunkerton 2001;Graf and Walter 2005;Scaife et al. 2005;Cagnazzo and Manzini 2009;Ineson and Scaife 2009; Thompson et al. 2011;Reichler et al. 2012;Kidston et al. 2015;Sheng et al. 2015;Li et al. 2016;Zhang et al. 2016Zhang et al. , 2018Huang et al. 2017;Waugh et al. 2017;He et al. 2020). As a vital chemical component of the stratosphere, the loss and recovery of stratospheric ozone can affect, to a large degree, the stratospheric circulation through radiative processes (e.g., Ramaswamy et al. 1996;Labitzke and Naujokat 2000;Hu and Tung 2002;Tian et al. 2010;Hu et al. 2015). ...
Using various observations, reanalysis datasets, and a general circulation model (CESM-WACCM4), the relationship between the Arctic total column ozone (TCO) and the tropospheric circulation and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the western North Pacific (30°–45°N, 130°E–170°W) was investigated. We find that anomalies in the circulation and SSTs over the western North Pacific in June are closely related to anomalies in the Arctic TCO in March, i.e., when the Arctic TCO in March decreases, the anomalous tropospheric cyclone and negative SST anomalies (SSTAs) will occur over the western North Pacific in June. Further analysis indicates that the decreased Arctic TCO in March tends to result in a positive Victoria mode-like (VM) SSTAs over the North Pacific in April, which persist and develop an anomalous cyclone over the eastern North Pacific in May via atmosphere-ocean coupling. This anomalous cyclone over the eastern North Pacific subsequently induces an anomalous cyclone over the western North Pacific in June via westward-propagating Rossby waves in the lower troposphere. Furthermore, the negative SSTAs over the western North Pacific are enhanced by the anomalous northerly related to the anomalous cyclone in June. The effects of increased Arctic TCO in March on the tropospheric circulation and SSTs are almost opposite to those of decreased Arctic TCO. These results are also supported by our numerical simulations. Moreover, 10–20% of the anomalies in the tropospheric circulation and SSTs over the western North Pacific in June are contributed by the anomalies in the Arctic TCO in March.
... The ground-based observations of the middle atmosphere are confined to limited instruments (e.g., Lidar radar [27], meteor radar [28], and sounding rockets [29]). Moreover, observations over China are rare and precious. ...
The properties of the long-term oscillations in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) temperature data and Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) data. Results for SABER temperature show that the semiannual oscillation (SAO) has three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km, respectively, and shows prominent seasonal asymmetries there. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K on average at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer (MIL). It is shown that stronger enhancement can be found at the spring equinox than at the autumn equinox. The triennial oscillation (TO) is significant in the tropical region. The spectral peak of the TO is probably a sub-peak of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and is due to modulation of QBO. In addition, there may be potential interaction of the TO with SAO at 85 km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The annual oscillation (AO) and SAO are analyzed over Kelan by FPI data. Generally, the amplitudes of FPI wind are smaller than those of the HorizontalWind Model (HWM07). The comparison between FPI and TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI) winds shows relatively large discrepancy. This may be due to the tidal aliasing in the nighttime results derived from the FPI data. Results also show that the algorithm to derive FPI temperature needs improvements.
... Meteoric radar uses underdense meteor decay times collectively to make reasonable estimates of the temperature in the mesopause [2]. There are also other ground-based observations concerning mesospheric temperature, such as sounding rockets [3] and weather balloons [4]. However, the data collected by such ground-based technologies are inadequate for the analysis of the global temperature structure because they cover only a limited region and observations over oceans are scarce. ...
The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.
SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) is a 10-channel infrared radiometer that is one of four instruments on the NASA TIMED (Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) satellite mission to study the structure, energetics, chemistry, and dynamics of the Earth’s mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The TIMED spacecraft was launched into a 625 km circular polar orbit (74.1º inclination) via a Boeing Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 7 December 2001. SABER continues to operate nominally and collect data routinely as it has for over 21 years. Over 2,200 peer-reviewed journal articles have been published worldwide using SABER data. A list of these articles is included in the Supporting Information accompanying this paper. The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) of Utah State University designed, fabricated, and calibrated the SABER instrument in close collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton University, and Global Atmospheric Technologies and Science (GATS). This paper provides a detailed technical description of the SABER instrument, including performance specifications and observed instrument performance.
SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) is a 10-channel infrared radiometer that is one of four instruments on the NASA TIMED (Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) satellite mission to study the structure, energetics, chemistry, and dynamics of the Earth’s mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The TIMED spacecraft was launched into a 625 km circular polar orbit (74.1º inclination) via a Boeing Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 7 December 2001. SABER continues to operate nominally and collect data routinely as it has for over 21 years. Over 2,200 peer-reviewed journal articles have been published worldwide using SABER data. A list of these articles is included in the Supporting Information accompanying this paper. This paper presents a detailed technical description of the SABER instrument including major subsystems of the instrument and technical performance parameters. This paper comprehensively describes the instrument and its components and provides final instrument design and performance parameters. The motivation for this paper is to document this information permanently for future reference. The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) of Utah State University designed, fabricated, and calibrated the SABER instrument in close collaboration with NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton University, and Global Atmospheric Technologies and Science (GATS).
The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and the TO has also been discussed Result is that the ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere, and the real origin of the TO may possibly lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.
