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Polar mesosphere summer echoes at Wasa, Antarctica (73°S): First observations and comparison with 68°N
Author(s) -
Kirkwood S.,
Wolf I.,
Nilsson H.,
Dalin P.,
Mikhaylova D.,
Belova E.
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2007gl030516
Subject(s) - earth's magnetic field , altitude (triangle) , atmospheric sciences , mesosphere , geomagnetic latitude , polar , latitude , radar , environmental science , geology , climatology , geodesy , physics , stratosphere , magnetic field , astronomy , telecommunications , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , computer science
Polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) have been observed for the first time at Wasa, Antarctica (73°S, 13°W, 61° geomagnetic). A new 54.5 MHz radar, MARA, operated first in Kiruna (68°N) during late summer 2006 and then at Wasa between 18 January and 5 February 2007. Operation in Kiruna allowed accurate cross calibration with the permanent 52 MHz radar ESRAD. PMSE at 73°S are found to have very similar characteristics to PMSE at 68°N. When observations from the same part of the summer season are compared, volume reflectivities show very similar distributions over different intensities, over height and over local‐time. PMSE at 68°N (65° geomagnetic) are stronger in the midnight sector, likely due to the different geomagnetic latitudes. Above 85 km altitude, weak PMSE have a higher occurrence rate at 73°S. The height of peak PMSE occurrence is ∼1 km higher at 73°S compared to 68°N.