TY - JOUR

T1 - Mesospheric temperature inversions from CRISTA-1 data

AU - Kostsov, Vlad S.

AU - Timofeev, Yu M.

PY - 2005/11/1

Y1 - 2005/11/1

N2 - Characteristics of mesospheric temperature inversions (MTIs) remotely sensed in the CRISTA-1 experiment (November 1994) are analyzed. The original dataset consisted of about 900 vertical temperature profiles in the range of altitudes from 40 to 120 km. MTIs were observed in 84% of cases. One and two inversions were mainly observed (in 40% and 37% of cases, respectively). Profiles with three inversions occurred in about 7% of cases. Profiles with four inversions accounted for less than 1% of cases. Multiple inversions were observed mainly in the equatorial region and in the Northern Hemisphere. The mean amplitude of inversions for the whole dataset is 24.3 K, with the most probable value of 7 K. When only MTIs with a maximum amplitude are taken into account in the case of multiple inversions, the mean amplitude is 30.6 K and the maximum of the frequency distribution of amplitudes lies in the range from 20 to 30 K. Inversions with an amplitude of 80-90 K were also detected. The maximum amplitude was 104 K. Zonal mean amplitudes in 5° latitudinal zones have maxima in the equatorial region and in the midlatitudes (at 30°-40° S and around 50° N). The maximum of the frequency distribution of the vertical extent of inversions is 5 to 7.5 km. No inversions with a vertical extent greater than 15 km were observed. Zonal mean vertical extents of inversions have minima south of 45° S. Zonal mean altitudes of inversions (altitudes of a temperature maximum) decrease sharply from 87.5 km in the southern latitudes to 80-82.5 km at the equator. In the northern latitudes, the inversion altitudes increase only slightly.

AB - Characteristics of mesospheric temperature inversions (MTIs) remotely sensed in the CRISTA-1 experiment (November 1994) are analyzed. The original dataset consisted of about 900 vertical temperature profiles in the range of altitudes from 40 to 120 km. MTIs were observed in 84% of cases. One and two inversions were mainly observed (in 40% and 37% of cases, respectively). Profiles with three inversions occurred in about 7% of cases. Profiles with four inversions accounted for less than 1% of cases. Multiple inversions were observed mainly in the equatorial region and in the Northern Hemisphere. The mean amplitude of inversions for the whole dataset is 24.3 K, with the most probable value of 7 K. When only MTIs with a maximum amplitude are taken into account in the case of multiple inversions, the mean amplitude is 30.6 K and the maximum of the frequency distribution of amplitudes lies in the range from 20 to 30 K. Inversions with an amplitude of 80-90 K were also detected. The maximum amplitude was 104 K. Zonal mean amplitudes in 5° latitudinal zones have maxima in the equatorial region and in the midlatitudes (at 30°-40° S and around 50° N). The maximum of the frequency distribution of the vertical extent of inversions is 5 to 7.5 km. No inversions with a vertical extent greater than 15 km were observed. Zonal mean vertical extents of inversions have minima south of 45° S. Zonal mean altitudes of inversions (altitudes of a temperature maximum) decrease sharply from 87.5 km in the southern latitudes to 80-82.5 km at the equator. In the northern latitudes, the inversion altitudes increase only slightly.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=29344441016&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:29344441016

VL - 41

SP - 741

EP - 749

JO - Izvestiya - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics

JF - Izvestiya - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics

SN - 0001-4338

IS - 6

ER -