The knowledge of decadal temperature trends in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere (20 to 100 km) is important for both scientific and practical reasons and for the relation to climate change. Almost all long-term measurements are made at fixed or limited local time intervals. The differences among the various measurements can be significant. Our results show that at least some of these differences may be due to the different local times at which the temperatures are measured.

The sun’s radiation exhibits a cycle with a period of ~11 years. We need to understand how the atmospheric temperature and ozone react to this solar variation, as it can affect climate. The response depends on energy transfer, chemical reactions, and atmospheric motions. There is no consensus as to some details. For example, the responses depend on the local times of the variations. This study provides results of effects of local time on the responses, from 20 to 100 km, based on measurements.

We have derived ozone and temperature responses to solar variability over a solar cycle, from 2002 to 2014 at 20–60 km and 48°S–48°N, based on a new dataset (SABER). These global results can be directly compared with 3-D models and will help in understanding not only the physical processes but also how they affect the Earth's climate. The simultaneous measurements of ozone and temperature will give added insight into the dynamics and photochemistry of the middle and upper atmosphere.

Satellite data over the 11-year solar cycle from 2002 to 2014 show that the response of atmospheric temperatures are in phase with the sun's activity from 50 to 100 km. The ozone variations are also in phase with those of temperature between ~ 80 and 100 km but are mostly out of phase between ~ 50 and 80 km. This is consistent with the idea that dynamics are more in control from 80 to 100 km, while ozone photochemistry is more in control from ~ 50 to 80 km.