On the use of simultaneous measurements of OH and O₂ emissions to investigate wave growth and dissipation

Abstract. Simultaneous measurements of mesospheric OH (6–2) Meinel and O₂ (0–1) Atmospheric band emissions from a low-latitude station, Maui, Hawaii (20.8° N, 156.2° W) are utilized to study the wave characteristics and associated processes. Deduced temperatures show large variability in both OH and O₂ data. The seasonal variability in the temperature shows a well-defined, semiannual type of oscillation, which are comparable to the ground-based rocket sounding data. The "Wave Growth Factor", a ratio of normalized perturbation amplitude in O₂ to the OH temperature variability, is estimated for principal as well as residual smaller period components of the nocturnal variability. It is noticed that smaller period waves (less than 12 h) occasionally have large growth factors of about 3–4 during equinox transitions, an indication of wave amplitude amplification within the 87–94 km altitudes while a strong wave-dissipation occurs throughout the year.