Vertical movements in the middle atmosphere derived from foil cloud experiments

Abstract

Results obtained on vertical velocities of air in the mesosphere are presented which were measured by small foil clouds tracked by radar at Andenes (69°) during January and February 1984. The results (typically ± 4–6 m s −1, up to 10 m s −1, and oscillatory in nature) are in good agreement with those obtained by ground-based remote sensing methods. Supplementary observation techniques of the radar return signal show that the interactions between background wind and waves quite often cause small-scale flow separation effects which escape detection when conventional radar tracking is the sole source of information.