Ground-based observations show a phase shift in semi-Annual variation of excited hydroxyl (OH) emissions at mid-latitudes (43 N) compared to those at low latitudes. This differs from the annual cycle at high latitudes. We examine this behaviour by utilising an OH airglow model which was incorporated into a 3D chemistry?transport model (CTM). Through this modelling, we study the morphology of the excited hydroxyl emission layer at mid-latitudes (30? 50 N), and we assess the impact of the main drivers of its semi-Annual variation: Temperature, atomic oxygen, and air density. We found that this shift in the semi-Annual cycle is determined mainly by the superposition of annual variations of temperature and atomic oxygen concentration. Hence, the winter peak for emission is determined exclusively by atomic oxygen concentration, whereas the summer peak is the superposition of all impacts, with temperature taking a leading role.

Translated title of the contributionПолугодовой ход эмиссии возбужденного гидроксила в средних широтах
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)255-265
Number of pages11
JournalAnnales Geophysicae
Volume39
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 26 Feb 2021

    Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Geology
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Space and Planetary Science
  • Atmospheric Science

    Research areas

  • OZONE CHEMICAL-EQUILIBRIUM, ALGORITHM THEORETICAL BASIS, ATOMIC OXYGEN, MESOPAUSE REGION, OH(6-2) AIRGLOW, SEASONAL-VARIATIONS, OH, TEMPERATURE, MESOSPHERE, MIDDLE

ID: 77246958