VHF radar measurements of momentum flux using summer polar mesopause echoes

Abstract

Abstract We revisit previously unpublished analysis of observations of the dynamics of the mesopause region over the Norwegian Island of Andøya (69°N, 16°E) made during a 1-week period in summer 1987 during the Middle Atmosphere Cooperation-Summer in Northern Europe (MAC-SINE) campaign using the mobile SOUSY VHF (53.5 MHz) Doppler radar operating in a six-beam mode. We do this in the light of: (1) more recent developments in the measurement of the components of the density-normalized Reynolds stress tensor using meteor radars, and with medium-frequency partial reflection radars using the hybrid Doppler interferometric technique, and (2) satellite measurements of the absolute upward flux of horizontal momentum. We consider of the density-normalized total upward flux of horizontal momentum $$\left( {\overline{{u^{\prime}w^{\prime}}} + \overline{{v^{\prime}w^{\prime}}} } \right)$$ u′w′¯+v′w′¯ for the 83–90 km height interval. Values of the component of the density-normalized flux for the 6 min to 12.8 h period range, after the tidal components have been removed, and the effects of the aspect sensitivity on the radar beam look directions have been accounted for vary between 5 m2 s−2 below 86 km and 13 m2 s−2 above 86 km. The major contribution is from the 6 to 12.8 h period range. The results of the analysis have implications for meteor radar estimates of momentum flux and also for Doppler radar measurements of the same term in the presence of aspect-sensitive scattering.

Keywords

• Very high-frequency radar
• Momentum flux
• Polar mesosphere summer echoes