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Observations of strong wind shears and temperature enhancements during several sporadic Na layer events above Haleakala
Author(s) -
Gardner Chester S.,
Tao Xin,
Papen George C.
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 - 10.1029/95gl02555
Subject(s) - wind shear , geology , sporadic e propagation , lidar , shear (geology) , atmospheric sciences , altitude (triangle) , amplitude , wind speed , geophysics , physics , ionosphere , geometry , optics , petrology , oceanography , remote sensing , mathematics
We describe two sporadic Na (Na s ) layer events observed on 26 September and 6 October 1993 by the Na Wind/Temperature (W/T) lidar above Haleakala, Maui (20.8°N, 156.2°W) during ALOHA‐93. Both events occurred between 90 and 95 km altitude and appeared to be associated with large amplitude gravity waves. Both were accompanied by temperature enhancements of more than 40 K. The temperature and Na density variations at the peak of the Na s , as well as the vertical motions of the Na s layers and regions of elevated temperature were highly correlated. The vertical wind structure exhibited no unusual characteristics in the vicinities of the Na s . The zonal wind profile for the 6 October event exhibited a very strong vertical shear approximately 1 km below the Na s layer that approached the dynamic instability limit of 42 m/s/km. However the polarity of the shear was opposite that predicted by the classical wind shear theory of sporadic E layers (E s ) formation.