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New method of estimating temperatures near the mesopause region using meteor radar observations
Author(s) -
Lee Changsup,
Kim JeongHan,
Jee Geonhwa,
Lee Wonseok,
Song InSun,
Kim Yong Ha
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl071082
Subject(s) - mesopause , microwave limb sounder , meteor (satellite) , full width at half maximum , remote sensing , solstice , radar , geology , mesosphere , environmental science , geodesy , meteorology , atmospheric sciences , latitude , physics , optics , troposphere , stratosphere , telecommunications , computer science
We present a novel method of estimating temperatures near the mesopause region using meteor radar observations. The method utilizes the linear relationship between the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the meteor height distribution and the temperature at the meteor peak height. Once the proportionality constant of the linear relationship is determined from independent temperature measurements performed over a specific period of time by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instrument on board the Aura satellite, the temperature can be estimated continuously according to the measurements of the FWHM alone without additional information. The temperatures estimated from the FWHM are consistent with the MLS temperatures throughout the study period within a margin of 3.0%. Although previous methods are based on temperature gradient or pressure assumptions, the new method does not require such assumptions, which allows us to estimate the temperature at approximately 90 km with better precision.