The wind regime of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere during the DYANA campaign—I. Prevailing winds

Abstract

During the DYANA campaign, winds and tides at mesospheric and lower thermospheric altitudes were measured by 14 ground based experiments (MF radars, meteor radars and LF-drift systems). The experiments were located between 107°W and 102°E, mostly in northern mid-latitudes with well covered areas in Central and Eastern Europe. Emphasis is placed here upon the vertical profiles and height-time contours of the prevailing zonal and meridional winds with different resolution (15 d, 4d). Generally, westerly winds are observed at heights below 95 km with a strong mesospheric variability and with longitudinal differences between the data of Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia and Canada. Planetary waves and a minor stratospheric warming in the first 10 days of February 1990 are the cause of this behaviour. In connection with the stratospheric warming, a wind reversal to summer east winds reaching from the upper stratosphere up to 95 km is observed. The close connection of the behaviour of the stratosphere with the observed longitudinal differences in the mesospheric response on the stratospheric warming and with the occurrence of wind oscillations (10–15 d) is discussed.