Abstract
AbstractObservations from the Global‐scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission have provided a new remote‐sensing data source of molecular oxygen profiles in Earth's lower‐to‐middle thermosphere (120–200 km). GOLD O2 observations indicate increasing densities of molecular oxygen at 170 km with rising solar activity between solar radio flux F10.7 values of 60 and ∼120 solar flux units (sfu). This is also seen in comparisons with solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance QEUV between 1 and ∼2.25 erg cm−2 s−1. However, the empirical Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter radar 2.0 (MSIS 2.0) model overestimates O2 densities at 170 km at these low levels of solar activity and predicts a decreasing density with increasing solar flux below ∼120 sfu. Additional data sets validate GOLD observations of O2 and their relationship with solar activity. Accurately determining and forecasting O2 is critical for accurately modeling plasma densities in the ionosphere and thermospheric density in the lower‐to‐middle thermosphere.
Published Version
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