Vertical Wind Profiles in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Driven by Meteor Radar and Ionospheric Connection Explorer Observations Over the Korean Peninsula

Abstract

Abstract Meteor radar observations provide wind data ranging from 80 to 100 km altitude, while the Michaelson Interferometer for Global High‐resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) onboard the Ionospheric Connection Explorer satellite offers wind data above 90 km altitude. This study aims to generate wind profiles in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere by combining the winds derived from meteor radar and MIGHTI observations over the Korean Peninsula from January 2020 to December 2021. The wind profiles derived from the two instruments are continuous at night, but they show discrepancies during the day. The atomic oxygen 557.7 nm (green line) emission intensity measured by MIGHTI peaks at approximately 100 km during the day and 94 km at night. The vertical gradient of the airglow volume emission rate is more pronounced during the day. These differences can cause day‐night differences in the MIGHTI wind retrieval accuracy, potentially leading to discrepancies during the day.

Keywords

• neutral winds
• mesosphere and lower thermosphere
• ICON‐MIGHTI
• meteor radar