skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Acceleration, heating, and compositional mixing of the thermosphere due to upward propagating tides

Abstract

The National Center for Atmospheric Research thermosphere-ionosphere general circulation model (TIGCM) is utilized to evaluate the role of upward propagating diurnal and semidiurnal tides in determining the tonal mean states of the thermosphere and ionosphere above 100 km. Differences between various zonal mean fields from TIGCM simulations are examined with and without tidal forcing at the lower boundary. The following effects are observed: (1) A westward jet of the order of 10-30 m s[sup [minus]1] in the equatorial lower thermosphere and weaker eastward flanking mid-latitude jets are induced by eddy and molecular dissipation of the tidal motions. (2) Salient characteristics of the equatorial jet are independent of tidal phase. (3) Increases in the zonal mean N[sub 2] and O[sub 2] number densities of the order of 10-30% are produced above 110 km and between [+-] 30[degree] latitude, mostly by virtue of the net heating due to tidal dissipation; these are accompanied by electron density depletions of the order of 10-15% above about 160 km due to the enhanced chemical loss. (4) A low-latitude ([le] 30[degrees]) depletion ([approximately]30-50%) of atomic oxygen occurs due to the increase in effective recombination rate within a tidally displaced air parcel. The latter may explain themore » low-latitude depression in the OI (5577 [angstrom]) airflow intensity from satellite-based observations. In addition, variations in the zonal mean densities of NO, N([sup 4]S), and N([sup 2]D) of the order of 30-60% are induced by reactions with the tidally modified distributions of O, O[sub 2], and temperature. The occurrence frequency of these effects is influenced by the amplitude of diurnal propagating tide assumed at the lower boundary of the TIGCM, which according to radar observations is exceeded about 20-40% of the time, depending on season. 46 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2]
  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6787878
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 98:A1; Journal ID: ISSN 0148-0227
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; OXYGEN; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; THERMOSPHERE; HEATING; MIXING; ELECTRON DENSITY; GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS; IONOSPHERE; TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION; TIDE; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; ELEMENTS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NONMETALS; PLANETARY IONOSPHERES; 661320* - Auroral, Ionospheric, & Magnetospheric Phenomena- (1992-)

Citation Formats

Forbes, J M, Roble, R G, and Fesen, C G. Acceleration, heating, and compositional mixing of the thermosphere due to upward propagating tides. United States: N. p., 1993. Web. doi:10.1029/92JA00442.
Forbes, J M, Roble, R G, & Fesen, C G. Acceleration, heating, and compositional mixing of the thermosphere due to upward propagating tides. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA00442
Forbes, J M, Roble, R G, and Fesen, C G. 1993. "Acceleration, heating, and compositional mixing of the thermosphere due to upward propagating tides". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA00442.
@article{osti_6787878,
title = {Acceleration, heating, and compositional mixing of the thermosphere due to upward propagating tides},
author = {Forbes, J M and Roble, R G and Fesen, C G},
abstractNote = {The National Center for Atmospheric Research thermosphere-ionosphere general circulation model (TIGCM) is utilized to evaluate the role of upward propagating diurnal and semidiurnal tides in determining the tonal mean states of the thermosphere and ionosphere above 100 km. Differences between various zonal mean fields from TIGCM simulations are examined with and without tidal forcing at the lower boundary. The following effects are observed: (1) A westward jet of the order of 10-30 m s[sup [minus]1] in the equatorial lower thermosphere and weaker eastward flanking mid-latitude jets are induced by eddy and molecular dissipation of the tidal motions. (2) Salient characteristics of the equatorial jet are independent of tidal phase. (3) Increases in the zonal mean N[sub 2] and O[sub 2] number densities of the order of 10-30% are produced above 110 km and between [+-] 30[degree] latitude, mostly by virtue of the net heating due to tidal dissipation; these are accompanied by electron density depletions of the order of 10-15% above about 160 km due to the enhanced chemical loss. (4) A low-latitude ([le] 30[degrees]) depletion ([approximately]30-50%) of atomic oxygen occurs due to the increase in effective recombination rate within a tidally displaced air parcel. The latter may explain the low-latitude depression in the OI (5577 [angstrom]) airflow intensity from satellite-based observations. In addition, variations in the zonal mean densities of NO, N([sup 4]S), and N([sup 2]D) of the order of 30-60% are induced by reactions with the tidally modified distributions of O, O[sub 2], and temperature. The occurrence frequency of these effects is influenced by the amplitude of diurnal propagating tide assumed at the lower boundary of the TIGCM, which according to radar observations is exceeded about 20-40% of the time, depending on season. 46 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.},
doi = {10.1029/92JA00442},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6787878}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)},
issn = {0148-0227},
number = ,
volume = 98:A1,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993}
}