Wintertime mesopause region vertical winds from Resolute Bay

Abstract

Vertical neutral winds in the upper mesosphere‐lower thermosphere, measured by observing the hydroxyl (OH) airglow using a wide‐angle Michelson Interferometer from Resolute Bay (74°N), over the course of three Arctic winters, are presented. The measurement of vertical winds, which span 3 to 4 months during the 1995–1996, 1996–1997, and 2000–2001 winters, are unique and allow for a variety of studies on the mechanisms associated with vertical winds in the mesosphere; specifically the influences of both geomagnetic activity and the polar vortex. In this study it is observed that (1) these vertical wind measurements are consistent with other studies of vertical winds from high latitude sites using different instrumentation, (2) the amplitude of vertical winds are not sensitive to Ap index at the measurement location, and (3) the daily variance of vertical winds are moderately correlated to the position of the stratospheric polar vortex as revealed by diagnostics of stratospheric assimilated data at the 10 hPa level. These results should help enhance our understanding of the mechanisms that determine the magnitude and variability of vertical neutral winds at high latitudes.