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Solar Mesosphere Explorer: Scientific objectives and results
Author(s) -
Barth C. A.,
Rusch D. W.,
Thomas R. J.,
Mount G. H.,
Rottman G. J.,
Thomas G. E.,
Sanders R. W.,
Lawrence G. M.
Publication year - 1983
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/gl010i004p00237
Subject(s) - mesosphere , atmospheric sciences , ozone , stratosphere , environmental science , atmosphere (unit) , flux (metallurgy) , thermosphere , ultraviolet , atmospheric temperature , physics , meteorology , astronomy , materials science , ionosphere , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
Instruments on the Solar Mesosphere Explorer simultaneously measure ozone density, temperature, and solar ultraviolet flux. Results from six months of observations show that ozone density in the mesosphere changes from day‐to‐day and with the seasons and that the principal cause of these changes is the variation in atmospheric temperature. The dependence between ozone density and temperature is inverse, with a decrease in temperature producing an increase in ozone density. This dependence is observable in the seasonal patterns and also in orbit‐to‐orbit observations during dramatic atmosphere changes such as stratospheric warmings.