Abstract
The measurements of parameters relevant to study transport processes of energy, momentum and mass in the middle atmosphere as well as the neighboring regions of the troposphere and the lower thermosphere, which can be done with mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere (MST) radars and incoherent scatter radars (ISR), are described. The most essential exchange processes between the troposphere and stratosphere, namely the variation of the tropopause height, synoptic-and mesoscale vertical motions and small-scale eddy or turbulence transport, which can be monitored with MST radars, are summarized. The possibility to study vertical transport within the stratosphere by means of vertical motion and by turbulent diffusion is outlined. The transport and deposition of energy and momentum by atmospheric gravity waves in the middle atmosphere is briefly discussed. A method to deduce the turbulence diffusion coefficient from radar data is presented and applied to mesospheric MST radar observations. A brief outline of ISR observations of the mesopause and lower thermosphere is finally given to stress the importance of the coupling between these upper regions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.
Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Balsley, B.B. arid K.S. Gage (1980) ‘The MST radar technique: potential for middle atmospheric studies’. Pure APPI. Geophvs., 118, 452–493.
Bowhill, S.A. and B. Edwards (eds.) ( 1983 f1984,1986) Handbook for MAP. 9,14,23 (publ. by SCOSTEP Secretariat, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL ).
Dennis, T.S., M.F. Larsen and J. Rottger (1986) ‘Observations of mesoscale vertical velocities around frontal zones’. Manuscript, Clemson University, SC.
Fritts, D.C. (1984) ‘Gravity wave saturation in the middle atmosphere: a review of theory and observations’. Rev. Geophvs. Space Phvs.. 22, 275–308.
Fritts, D.C., M.A. Geller, B.B. Balsley, M.L. Chanin, I. Hirota, J.R. Holton, S. Kato, R.S. Lindzen, M.R. Schoeberl, R.A. Vincent and R.F. Woodman (1984) ‘Research status and recommendations from the Alaska workshop on gravity waves and turbulence in the middle atmosphere, Fairbanks, Alaska, 18–22 July 1983’. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 65, 149–159.
Gage, K.S. and B.B. Balsley (1984) ‘MST radar studies of wind and turbulence in the middle atmosphere’. J. Atmos. Terr. Phvs., 46, 739–753.
Garcia, R.R. and S. Solomon (1985) ‘The effect of breaking gravity waves on the dynamics and chemical composition of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere’. J. Geophvs. Res., 90, 3850–3868.
Gossard, E.E. and K.C. Yeh (eds.) (1980) Radio Science (Radar Investigations of the Clear Air), 15, No. 2.
Hocking, W.K. (1983) ‘On the extraction of atmospheric turbulence parameters from radar backscatter Doppler spectra - I. theory’. J. Atmos. Terr. Phvs., 45, 89–102.
Hocking, W.K. (1986) ‘Observation and measurement of turbulence in the middle atmosphere with a VHF radar’. J. Atmos. Terr. Phvs., 48, 655–670.
Hocking, W.K. (1987) 1 Turbulence in the region 80-120 km’. Adv. Space Res. (to appear).
Larsen, M.F. and J. Rottger (1982) ‘VHF and UHF Doppler radars as tools for synoptic research’. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 63, 996–1008.
Liu, C.H. and S. Kato (eds.) (1985) Radio Science ( Special Section: Technical and Scientific Aspects of MST Radars ), 20, No. 6.
Reiter, E.R. (1975) Stratospheric-tropospheric exchange processes’. Rev. Geophvs. Space Phvs., 13, 459–474.
Röttger, J. (1980) ‘Structure and dynamics of the stratosphere and mesosphere revealed by VHF radar investigations’ Pure APPI. Geophvs., 118, 494–527.
Sato, T. and R.F. Woodman (1982) ‘Fine altitude resolution observations of stratospheric turbulent layers by the Arecibo 430 MHz radar’. J. Atmos. Sei., 39, 2546–2552.
Thrane, E.V., O. Andreasen, T. Blix, B. Grandal, A. Brekke, C.R. Philbrick, F.J. Schmidlin, H.U. Widdel, U. von Zahn and F.J. Luebken (1985) ‘Neutral air turbulence in the upper atmosphere’. J. Atmos. Terr. Phvs., 47, 243–265.
VanZandt, T.E. (1982) ‘A universal spectrum of buoyancy waves in the atmosphere’. Geophvs. Res. Lett., 9, 575–578.
Vincent, R.A. (ed.) (1984) Handbook for MAP (Ground-Based Techniques), 13 (publ. by SCOSTEP Secretariat, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL ).
Vincent, R.A. and I.M. Reid (1983) ‘HF Doppler measurements of mesospheric gravity wave momentum fluxes’. J. Atmos. Sei., 40, 1321–1333.
Warnock, J.M., T.E. VanZandt and J.L. Green (1985) ‘A statistical model to estimate mean values of parameters of turbulence in the free atmosphere’. Preprint Volume Seventh Symposium on Turbulence and Diffusion, (publ. by Amer. Met. Soc., Boston, MA).
Weinstock, J. (1981) ‘Energy dissipation rates of turbulence in the stable free atmosphere’. J. Atmos. Sei., 38, 880–883.
Woodman, R.F. and A. Guillen (1974) ‘Radar observations of winds and turbulence in the stratosphere and mesosphere’. J. Atmos. Sei., 31, 493–505.
Woodman, R.F. and P.K. Rastogi (1984) ‘Evaluation of effec-tive eddy diffusive coefficients using radar observations of turbulence in the stratosphere’. Geophvs. Res. Lett., 11, 243–246.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1987 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holand.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Röttger, J. (1987). Contribution of Radar Observations of Winds, Waves, Turbulence and Composition to Study Transport Processes in the Middle Atmosphere. In: Visconti, G., Garcia, R. (eds) Transport Processes in the Middle Atmosphere. NATO ASI Series, vol 213. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3973-8_28
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3973-8_28
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8262-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3973-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive