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The temperature structure of the winter atmosphere at South Pole
Author(s) -
Pan Weilin,
Gardner Chester S.,
Roble Raymond G.
Publication year - 2002
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 - 10.1029/2002gl015288
Subject(s) - mesopause , stratopause , atmospheric sciences , atmosphere (unit) , subsidence , environmental science , atmospheric temperature , lidar , mesosphere , climatology , stratosphere , geology , meteorology , physics , remote sensing , geomorphology , structural basin
Fe/Rayleigh lidar measurements and balloon observations made recently at the geographic South Pole are used to characterize the monthly mean winter temperature profiles from the surface to about 110 km. The measured temperatures during mid‐winter in both the stratopause and mesopause regions are 20–30 K colder than current model predictions. These differences are caused by weaker than expected compressional heating associated with subsidence over the polar cap. The measured mesopause temperature responds much more rapidly to changes in sunlight than model predictions, which suggests that IR heating by CO 2 absorption may also be important to the thermal balance in the mesopause region.