Articles | Volume 42, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-42-1-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-42-1-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Regular paper
| 
02 Feb 2024
Regular paper |
| 02 Feb 2024
| 02 Feb 2024
High-time-resolution analysis of meridional tides in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere at mid-latitudes measured by the Falkland Islands SuperDARN radar
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Andrew J. Kavanagh
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Neil Cobbett
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Paul Breen
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Tim Barnes
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
Related authors
Shibaji Chakraborty, Sebastijan Mrak, Alex Chartier, Evan G. Thomas, Gareth Chisham, William Bristow, and Aroh Barjatya
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5257, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5257, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Annales Geophysicae (ANGEO).
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how the 2021 total solar eclipse over Antarctica affected the upper atmosphere near the South Pole. Using HF radars, we observed changes in radio wave behavior and fast plasma flows in the ionosphere, including sudden high-velocity echoes that tracked the eclipse shadow. Satellite data and models revealed changes in ionospheric currents and conductance. These findings show eclipses can temporarily reshape magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions at polar latitudes.
Shibaji Chakraborty, Sebastijan Mrak, Alex Chartier, Evan G. Thomas, Gareth Chisham, William Bristow, and Aroh Barjatya
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5257, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5257, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Annales Geophysicae (ANGEO).
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how the 2021 total solar eclipse over Antarctica affected the upper atmosphere near the South Pole. Using HF radars, we observed changes in radio wave behavior and fast plasma flows in the ionosphere, including sudden high-velocity echoes that tracked the eclipse shadow. Satellite data and models revealed changes in ionospheric currents and conductance. These findings show eclipses can temporarily reshape magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions at polar latitudes.
Christopher John Scott, Matthew N. Wild, Luke Anthony Barnard, Bingkun Yu, Tatsuhiro Yokoyama, Michael Lockwood, Cathryn Mitchel, John Coxon, and Andrew Kavanagh
Ann. Geophys., 42, 395–418, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-42-395-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-42-395-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term change in the ionosphere are expected due to increases in greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere. Empirical formulae are used to estimate height. Through comparison with independent data we show that there are seasonal and long-term biases introduced by the empirical model. We conclude that estimates of long-term changes in ionospheric height need to account for these biases.
Neil P. Hindley, Nicholas J. Mitchell, Neil Cobbett, Anne K. Smith, Dave C. Fritts, Diego Janches, Corwin J. Wright, and Tracy Moffat-Griffin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9435–9459, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9435-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9435-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present observations of winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) from a recently installed meteor radar on the remote island of South Georgia (54° S, 36° W). We characterise mean winds, tides, planetary waves, and gravity waves in the MLT at this location and compare our measured winds with a leading climate model. We find that the observed wintertime winds are unexpectedly reversed from model predictions, probably because of missing impacts of secondary gravity waves in the model.
Cited articles
Ceplecha, Z., Borovicka, J., Elford, W. G., Revelle, P. O., Hawkes, R. L., Porubcan, V., and Simek, M.: Meteor phenomena and bodies, Space Sci. Rev., 84, 327–471, 1998. a
Chisham, G.: Calibrating SuperDARN interferometers using meteor backscatter, Radio Sci., 53, 761–774, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017RS006492, 2018. a, b, c
Chisham, G.: Falkland Islands SuperDARN radar high-time resolution meridional meteor winds – 2010 and 2011 (Version 1.0) [data set], NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre, https://doi.org/10.5285/05fd4030-9c22-4bfe-91c2-0f63ac376ec1, 2023. a, b
Chisham, G., Lester, M., Milan, S. E., Freeman, M. P., Bristow, W. A., Grocott, A., McWilliams, K. A., Ruohoniemi, J. M., Yeoman, T. K., Dyson, P. L., Greenwald, R. A., Kikuchi, T., Pinnock, M., Rash, J. P. S., Sato, N., Sofko, G. J., Villain, J.-P., and Walker, A. D. M.: A decade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): Scientific achievements, new techniques and future directions, Surv. Geophys., 28, 33–109, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-007-9017-8, 2007. a
Chisham, G., Burrell, A. G., Marchaudon, A., Shepherd, S. G., Thomas, E. G., and Ponomarenko, P.: Comparison of interferometer calibration techniques for improved SuperDARN elevation angles, Polar Sci., 28, 100638, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2021.100638, 2021. a
Craig, R., Vincent, R., Fraser, G., and Smith, M.: The quasi 2-day wave in the Southern Hemisphere mesosphere, Nature, 287, 319–320, 1980. a
Forbes, J. M.: Tidal and planetary waves, in: The upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere: A review of experiment and theory, edited by: Johnson, R. M. and Killeen, T. L., Geophysical monograph series, Washington DC, American Geophysical Union, Vol. 87, 67–87, https://doi.org/10.1029/GM087p0067, 1995. a
Gong, Y., Xue, J., Ma, Z., Zhang, S., Zhou, Q., Huang, C., Huang, K., Yu, Y., and Li, G.: Strong quarterdiurnal tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere during the 2019 arctic sudden stratospheric warming over Mohe, China, J. Geophys. Res., 126, e2020JA029066, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA029066, 2021. a, b
Greenwald, R. A., Baker, K. B., Hutchins, R. A., and Hanuise, C.: An HF phased-array radar for studying small-scale structure in the high-latitude ionosphere, Radio Sci., 20, 63–79, 1985. a
Greenwald, R. A., Baker, K. B., Dudeney, J. R., Pinnock, M., Jones, T. B., Thomas, E. C., Villain, J.-P., Cerisier, J.-C., Senior, C., Hanuise, C., Hunsucker, R. D., Sofko, G., Koehler, J., Nielsen, E., Pellinen, R., Walker, A. D. M., Sato, N., and Yamagishi, H.: DARN/SuperDARN: A global view of the dynamics of high-latitude convection, Space Sci. Rev., 71, 761–796, 1995. a
Griffith, M. J., Dempsey, S. M., Jackson, D. R., Moffat-Griffin, T., and Mitchell, N. J.: Winds and tides of the Extended Unified Model in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere validated with meteor radar observations, Ann. Geophys., 39, 487–514, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-487-2021, 2021. a
Guharay, A., Batista, P. P., Buriti, R. A., and Schuch, N. J.: On the variability of the quarter-diurnal tide in the MLT over Brazilian low-latitude stations, Earth Planets Space, 70, 140, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-018-0910-9, 2018. a, b
He, M., Forbes, J. M., Chau, J. L., Li, G., Wan, W., and Korotyshkin, D. V.: High-order solar migrating tides quench at SSW onsets, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, e2019GL086778, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086778, 2020. a
Hedlin, M. A. H., de Groot-Hedlin, C. D., Forbes, J. M., and Drob, D. P.: Solar terminator waves in surface pressure observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 45, 5213–5219, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078528, 2018. a
Hibbins, R. E., Espy, P. J., and Jarvis, M. J.: Quasi-biennial modulation of the semidiurnal tide in the upper mesosphere above Halley, Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L21804, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL031282, 2007. a, b
Hibbins, R. E., Freeman, M. P., Milan, S. E., and Ruohoniemi, J. M.: Winds and tides in the mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere upper mesosphere recorded with the Falkland Islands SuperDARN radar, Ann. Geophys., 29, 1985–1996, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-29-1985-2011, 2011. a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z
Hibbins, R. E., Espy, P. J., Orsolini, Y. J., Limpasuvan, V., and Barnes, R. J.: SuperDARN observations of semidiurnal tidal variability in the MLT and the response to sudden stratospheric warming events, J. Geophys. Res., 124, 4862–4872, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD030157, 2019. a, b
Lieberman, R. S., Riggin, D. M., Nguyen, V., Palo, S. E., Siskind, D. E., Mitchell, N. J., Stober, G., Wilhelm, S., and Livesey, N. J.: Global observations of 2 day wave coupling to the diurnal tide in a high-altitude forecast-assimilation system, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 122, 4135–4149, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025144, 2017. a
Lima, L. M., Batista, P. P., Takahashi, H., and Clemesha, B. R.: Quasi-two-day wave observed by meteor radar at 22∘ S, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys., 66, 529–537, 2004. a
Limpasuvan, V., Wu, D. L., Schwartz, M. J., Waters, J. W., Wu, Q., and Killeen, T. L.: The two-day wave in EOS MLS temperature and wind measurements during 2004–2005 winter, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L17809, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL023396, 2005. a
Lomb, N. R.: Least-squares frequency analysis of unequally spaced data, Astrophys. Space Sci., 39, 447–462, 1976. a
Malinga, S. B. and Ruohoniemi, J. M.: The quasi-two-day wave studied using the Northern Hemisphere SuperDARN HF radars, Ann. Geophys., 25, 1767–1778, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-25-1767-2007, 2007. a, b, c
Nguyen, V. A., Palo, S. E., Lieberman, R. S., Forbes, J. M., Ortland, D. A., and Siskind, D. E.: Generation of secondary waves arising from nonlinear interaction between the quasi 2 day wave and the migrating diurnal tide, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 121, 7762–7780, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD024794, 2016. a, b, c
Nishitani, N., Ruohoniemi, J. M., Lester, M., Baker, J. B. H., Koustov, A. V., Shepherd, S. G., Chisham, G., Hori, T., Thomas, E. G., Makarevich, R. A., Marchaudon, A., Ponomarenko, P., Wild, J. A., Milan, S. E., Bristow, W. A., Devlin, J., Miller, E., Greenwald, R. A., Ogawa, T., and Kikuchi, T.: Review of the accomplishments of mid-latitude Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) HF radars, Prog. Earth Planet. Sci., 6, 27, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40645-019-0270-5, 2019. a
Ogawa, T., Arnold, N. F., Kirkwood, S., Nishitani, N., and Lester, M.: Finland HF and Esrange MST radar observations of polar mesosphere summer echoes, Ann. Geophys., 21, 1047–1055, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-21-1047-2003, 2003. a
Ogawa, T., Nishitani, N., Kawamura, S., and Murayama, Y.: Mesosphere summer echoes observed with the SuperDARN Hokkaido HF radar at Rikubetsu, Japan (43.5∘ N), Earth Planets Space, 65, 1593–1597, https://doi.org/10.5047/eps.2013.07.009, 2013. a
Press, W. H. and Rybicki, G. B.: Fast algorithm for spectral analysis of unevenly sampled data, Ap. J., 338, 277–280, 1989. a
Smith, A. K., Pancheva, D. V., and Mitchell, N. J.: Observations and modelling of the 6-hour tide in the upper mesosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D10105, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JD004421, 2004. a, b
Stray, N. H., de Wit, R. J., Espy, P. J., and Hibbins, R. E.: Observational evidence for temporary planetary-wave forcing of the MLT during fall equinox, Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 6281–6288, 2014. a
Stray, N. H., Espy, P. J., Limpasuvan, V., and Hibbins, R. E.: Characterisation of quasi-stationary planetary wave in the MLT during summer, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys., 127, 30–36, 2015. a
SuperDARN Data Analysis Working Group, Thomas, E. G., Reimer, A. S., Bland, E. C., Burrell, A. G., Grocott, A., Ponomarenko, P. V., Schmidt, M. T., Shepherd, S. G., Sterne, K. T., and Walach, M.-T.: SuperDARN Radar Software Toolkit (RST) 5.0 (v5.0), Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7467337, 2022. a
Teitelbaum, H. and Vial, F.: On tidal variability induced by nonlinear interaction with planetary waves, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 14169–14178, 1991. a
Thomas, R. M., Whitham, P. S., and Elford, W. G.: Response of high frequency radar to meteor backscatter, J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys., 50, 703–724, 1988. a
Tsutsumi, M., Yukimatu, A. S., Holdsworth, D. A., and Lester, M.: Advanced SuperDARN meteor wind observations based on raw time series analysis technique, Radio Sci., 44, RS2006, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008RS003994, 2009. a
van Caspel, W. E., Espy, P. J., Hibbins, R. E., and McCormack, J. P.: Migrating tide climatologies measured by a high-latitude array of SuperDARN HF radars, Ann. Geophys., 38, 1257–1265, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-38-1257-2020, 2020. a, b, c
Velleman, P. F.: Robust nonlinear data smoothers: Definitions and recommendations, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 74, 434–436, 1977. a
Yakymenko, K. N., Koustov, A. V., and Nishitani, N.: Statistical study of midlatitude E region echoes observed by the Hokkaido SuperDARN HF radar, J. Geophys. Res., 120, 9959–9976, 2015. a
Yuan, T., Schmidt, H., She, C. Y., Krueger, D. A., and Reising, S.: Seasonal variations of semidiurnal tidal perturbations in mesopause region temperature and zonal and meridional winds above Fort Collins, Colorado (40.6∘ N, 105.1∘ W), J. Geophys. Res., 113, D20103, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JD009687, 2008. a
Yukimatu, A. K. and Tsutsumi, M.: A new SuperDARN meteor wind measurement: Raw time series analysis method and its application to mesopause region dynamics, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1981, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL015210, 2002. a
Short summary
Solar tides in the atmosphere are driven by solar heating on the dayside of the Earth. They result in large-scale periodic motion of the upper atmosphere. This motion can be measured by ground-based radars. This paper shows that making measurements at a higher time resolution than the standard operation provides a better description of higher-frequency tidal variations. This will improve the inputs to empirical atmospheric models and the benefits of data assimilation.
Solar tides in the atmosphere are driven by solar heating on the dayside of the Earth. They...
