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Winds and vertical wavelengths deduced from the ground‐based measurement of the Doppler shifts of the O 2 (b ¹∑ g + ‐ X ³∑ g − ), OI(¹D 2 ‐ ¹S 0 ), and the X ²Π OH (6–2) Band P 1 (2) c,d line emissions in the midlatitude upper middle atmosphere
Author(s) -
Hernandez G.,
Smith R. W.
Publication year - 1995
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 - 10.1029/94gl03114
Subject(s) - wavelength , atmosphere (unit) , doppler effect , physics , geology , optics , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , astronomy
Simultaneous ground‐based measurements of the upper middle atmosphere motions, using the OI(¹ D 2 ‐¹ S 0 ) emission and the O 2 (b¹∑ g + ‐ X ³∑ g − ) atmospheric band emission as tracers, indicate that the height separation between the emission layers is small, in comparison with the vertical wavelength oscillations present in that atmospheric region, and in agreement with earlier results obtained with rocket measurements. The finding of a long vertical wavelength is corroborated by simultaneous wind motion measurements obtained with the emissions of O[I] and OH (6–2) as tracers, where a vertical wavelength of about 90 km has been determined. This new optical, ground‐based, capability to determine motions and vertical wavelengths in the upper middle atmosphere from simultaneous measurements of multiple emission layers provides a new optical tool to investigate the oscillations present in this region of the upper atmosphere.