Mesospheric and Lower Thermospheric Winds at Middle Europe and Northern Scandinavia during the Leonid 1999 Meteor Storm

Abstract

We report observations of winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere during the Leonid meteor storm of November 17/18, 1999. The observations were obtained at five radar sites in Middle Europe and Northern Scandinavia using meteor radars in Germany and Northern Sweden, Medium Frequency (MF) radars in Germany and Northern Norway and Low Frequency (LF) wind measurements in Germany. We present hourly means of zonal and meridional winds covering the altitude range 82 km to 106 km. At mid-latitudes (52°–54°N) we observe strong eastward and southward directed winds during the storm phase of the Leonid shower in the early morning hours of November 18 whereas eastward and northward directed winds are dominating at high latitudes (67°–69°N). Strong semidiurnal and weaker diurnal tidal oscillations are observed in the wind field at both latitudes at altitudes above 90 km.