Effect of planetary waves on cooling the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere by the CO₂ 15-µm emission

Abstract. The steady-state 2-D linearized model of global-scale waves, calibrated according to available observations, is used to evaluate planetary-wave perturbations of temperature from the surface up to the height of about 165km. The maximum order of perturbation amplitudes in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere is found to be 15K for the ultra-fast Kelvin wave (UFKW) of the 3.5-day period, 8K for the 10-day wave, 5K for the 2- and 16-day waves, and 2K for the 5-day wave. The wave-caused variation in heat influx in the CO₂ 15-µm band, averaged over the wave period, depends on both the amplitude of temperature and temperature profile in the atmosphere unperturbed by the wave. An additional increase in radiative cooling is the prevailing effect of planetary waves in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The UFKW results in an increasing cooling rate up to ~0.1 of the cooling rate in the unperturbed atmosphere. The tangible contributions of the 2-, 10-, and 16-day waves are questionable. The contribution of the 5-day wave is negligible.