Meteor Radar Research Articles

Extreme Horizontal Wind Perturbations in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Over South America Associated With the 2022 Hunga Eruption

AbstractOn 15 January 2022, the Hunga volcano produced a massive explosion that generated perturbations in the entire atmosphere. Nonetheless, signatures in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) have been challenging to identify. We report MLT horizontal wind perturbations using three multistatic specular meteor radars on the west side of South America (spanning more than 3,000 km). The most notorious signal is an exceptional solitary wave with a large vertical wavelength observed around 18 UT at all three sites, with an amplitude of ∼50 m/s mainly in the westward direction. Using a customized analysis, the wave is characterized as traveling at ∼200 m/s, with a period of ∼2 hr and a horizontal wavelength of ∼1,440 km in the longitudinal direction, away from the source. The perturbation is consistent with an L1 Lamb wave mode. The signal's timing coincides with the arrival time of the tsunami triggered by the eruption.

Possibility of antiquark nuggets detection using meteor searching radars

Within the quark nugget model, dark matter particles may be represented by compact composite objects composed of a large number of quarks or antiquarks. Due to strong interaction with visible matter, antiquark nuggets should manifest themselves in the form of rare atmospheric events on the Earth. They may produce ionized trails in the atmosphere similar to the meteor trails. There are, however, several features which should allow one to distinguish antiquark nugget trails from meteor ones. We study the properties of ionized trails from antiquark nuggets in the air and show that they may be registered by standard meteor radar detectors. Non-observation of such trails pushes up the mean baryon charge number in the quark nugget model, $|B|>4\times 10^{27}$.

Impact of sudden stratospheric warmings on the neutral density, temperature and wind in the MLT region

In this study, the neutral density and horizontal wind observed by the four meteor radars, as well as the temperature measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) onboard the Aura satellite are used to examine the response of neutral density, wind, and temperature in the MLT region to the stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) during 2005 to 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere. The four meteor radars include the Svalbard (78.3°N, 16°E) and Tromsø (69.6°N, 19.2°E) meteor radars at high latitudes and the Mohe (53.5°N, 122.3°E) and Beijing (40.3°N, 116.2°E) meteor radars at middle latitudes. The superposed epoch analysis results indicate that: 1) the neutral density over Svalbard and Tromsø at high latitude increased at the beginning of SSWs and decreased after the zonal mean stratospheric temperature reached the maximum. However, the neutral density over Mohe at midlatitudes decreased in neutral density at the beginning of SSW and increase after the zonal mean stratospheric temperature reached the maximum. 2) The zonal wind at high latitudes show a westward enhancement at the beginning of SSWs and then shows an eastward enhancement after the stratospheric temperature reaches maximum. However, the zonal wind at midlatitudes shows an opposite variation to at high latitudes, with an eastward enhancement at the onset and changing to westward enhancements after the stratospheric temperature maximum. The meridional winds at high and midlatitudes show a southward enhancement after the onset of SSW and then show a northward enhancement after the stratospheric temperature maximum. 3) In general, the temperature in the MLT region decreased throughout SSWs. However, as the latitudes decrease, the temperature cooling appears to lag a few days to the higher latitudes, and the degree of cooling will decrease relatively.

Identifying gravity waves launched by the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha′apai volcanic eruption in mesosphere/lower-thermosphere winds derived from CONDOR and the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster

Abstract. The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha′apai volcano eruption was a unique event that caused many atmospheric phenomena around the globe. In this study, we investigate the atmospheric gravity waves in the mesosphere/lower-thermosphere (MLT) launched by the volcanic explosion in the Pacific, leveraging multistatic meteor radar observations from the Chilean Observation Network De Meteor Radars (CONDOR) and the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster in Fennoscandia. MLT winds are computed using a recently developed 3DVAR+DIV algorithm. We found eastward- and westward-traveling gravity waves in the CONDOR zonal and meridional wind measurements, which arrived 12 and 48 h after the eruption, and we found one in the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster that arrived 27.5 h after the volcanic detonation. We obtained observed phase speeds for the eastward great circle path at both locations of about 250 m s−1, and they were 170–150 m s−1 for the opposite propagation direction. The intrinsic phase speed was estimated to be 200–212 m s−1. Furthermore, we identified a potential lamb wave signature in the MLT winds using 5 min resolved 3DVAR+DIV retrievals.

A VHF Circularly Polarized Turnstile Antenna with Balun for Meteor Radar

This paper presents a circularly polarized turnstile antenna for a meteor radar system. The antenna employs a pair of turnstile radiators, a 1:2 power divider and a 90° phase shifter. After a series of simulations and optimizations, the maximum circularly polarized gain at 39 MHz is 5.9 dBic with 96° 3 dB beam width. The simulated axial ratio below 3 dB is from −39° to 39° within the band of interest. Then, the proposed antenna is fabricated and applied to a meteor radar system. Two tests are carried out for radiation characteristics demonstration. In the first test, the VSWR of the proposed antenna is below 1.2 at 38.5–39.5 MHz and keeps good agreement with simulation results. However, the meteor azimuth distribution is illogical when the output results are compared with the Australian meteor detection radar (ATRAD) meteor detection. To address the problem, baluns are investigated and introduced for balanced feeding. The 1:1 unbalance–balance transformer has been used to improve the radiation characteristics of the designed antenna. The final test results show that the meteor radar system with the improved antenna achieves better performances in meteor counts and meteor azimuth distribution.

A VHF Circularly Polarized Turnstile Antenna with Balun for Meteor Radar

A VHF Circularly Polarized Turnstile Antenna with Balun for Meteor Radar

Low Altitude Tailing Es (LATTE): Analysis of Sporadic‐E Layer Height at Different Latitudes of Middle and Low Region

AbstractIn this paper, the Earth's sporadic‐E (Es) layer vertical motion is investigated by using an image processing technique for automatic scaling ionograms from Mohe (122.37°E, 53.50°N, dip angle 71°), Beijing (116.25°E, 40.25°N, dip angle 59°), Wuhan (114.61°E, 30.53°N, dip angle 46°) and Fuke (109.13°E, 19.52°N, dip angle 27°). Es traces descend with different periodicities, indicating tidal modulation to Es layers. Comparing winds from a combination of the Ionospheric Connection Explorer/Michelson Interferometer for Global High‐Resolution Thermospheric Imaging and meteor radar measurements with Es layers, we find that Es traces at high altitudes (above 110 km) rapidly move down in accordance with the descent of the wind shear nulls, which indicates the important role of the tides in the formation and descent of the Es layer at high altitude. The lower‐lying Es layers, however, do not descend with the wind shear null, but stay at the bottom of the E region (∼100 km) for a long time, which cannot be explained by tidal wind shear theory. In addition, the time duration of the Es layers staying at low latitudes increases with the decreasing latitude. Simulation results demonstrate that the low altitude tailing Es layer is dominated by the dramatically enhanced collision frequency at the lower height of the mesosphere and the lower thermosphere region.

Response of Meteor Plasma Trails Observed by Meteor Radar to Geomagnetic Activity

AbstractFrom meteor radar observations typically measuring neutral winds and temperatures in the upper atmosphere, we showed that under‐dense meteor plasma trails respond to geomagnetic activity. Depending on the geomagnetic activity conditions, the parameters of the under‐dense trail echoes show substantial anomalies, and their responses are immediate. As geomagnetic activity increases, the decay time decreases up to about 10% at Kp = 8, while both the returned signal power and radial velocity error increase. In addition, the types of diffuse evolution vary with geomagnetic activity, resulting in strong geomagnetic activity that immediately affects the trail. The evolution of the trail is affected not only by the ambient mesospheric neutral atmospheric properties but also by electromagnetic effects, such as strong electric fields inside meteor trails. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the geomagnetic effect should be considered when estimating atmospheric parameters from MR during a geomagnetically active period.

On the question of constructing the distribution of the flux density of meteoroids over the celestial sphere in ground-based single-position radar measurements of meteor activity and velocity: The experience of past years

The construction of the distribution of the flux density of meteor bodies over the celestial sphere is necessary for solving problems of meteor astronomy and others. To construct such distributions, experimental data on the coordinates of meteor radiants are needed. Meteor radars provide determination of the coordinates of the radiant in the presence of one transmitter and three spaced receivers. In this research, we are talking about ground-based meteor observations of the number of meteors using single-station meteor back-skatter radars as simpler than measurements of meteor radiants. In the 1950–80s in Kharkiv (Ukraine), active meteor radar research was carried out, both simple single-station and complex with remote points. The authors in the 1980s were participants in the meteor international program GLOBMET (Kashcheev, 1982; Roper, 1990). At that time, they modified an algorithm for calculating the flux density of meteor bodies over the heliocentric celestial sphere by number, range and velocity for radar observations with using single-station meteor backscatter. An algorithm was developed for dividing the celestial sphere into regions with a combination of “celestial” and “antenna” regions with a binding of a meteor to the antenna region in radar observations with a narrowly directed antenna without goniometr. This algorithm was applied to specific equipment for measuring the number of meteors by the Kharkiv Meteor Automated Radar System (MARS), 31.1 MHz. The correctness of the algorithm was confirmed by constructing the density distribution of the incident flux over the celestial sphere based on measurements in October-December 1989. The distributions are constructed using two methods for approximating the amplitude-time characteristics of signals. The results represent the experience of past years, which may be of interest as a scientific and technical solution.

Horizontal Correlation Functions of Wind Fluctuations in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

AbstractMeasurements of kinetic energy in vortical and divergent fluctuations in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere can be used to study stratified turbulence (ST) and gravity waves. This can be done using horizontal correlation functions of the fluctuating component of velocity. This study introduces a novel method for estimating these correlation functions using radars that observe Doppler shifts of ionized specular meteor trails. The technique solves the correlation functions directly on a longitudinal‐transverse‐up coordinate system, assuming axial symmetry. This procedure is more efficient and leads to smaller uncertainties than a previous approach. The new technique is applied to a year‐long data set from a multistatic specular meteor radar network in Germany, to study the annual variability of kinetic energy within turbulent fluctuations at 87–93 km of altitude. In monthly averages, the kinetic energy is found to be nearly equipartitioned between vortical and divergent modes. Turbulent fluctuations maximize during the winter months with approximately 25% more energy in these months than at other times. The horizontal correlation functions are in agreement with the inertial subrange of ST, exhibiting a 2/3 power law in the horizontal lag direction, with an outermost scale of ST to be about 380 km. This suggests that horizontal correlation functions could be used to estimate turbulent energy transfer rates.

Influence of Meteor Count on Wind Field Retrieved by All-Sky Meteor Radar

The all-sky meteor radar is an important means to detect 70–110 km wind fields. Previous studies have shown that the wind field retrieved by all-sky meteor radars is closely related to the meteor count detected by the radar. However, the precision of the wind field is still unclear. In this paper, the influence of the meteor counts detected by two all-sky meteor radars operating simultaneously at Kunming station on wind fields is analyzed based on the observations of the two radars from 1 November 2013 to 31 December 2014. First, the meteor counts detected by the two meteor radars are approximately 100–3000 per hour, and the meteor count detected by the 37.5 MHz meteor radar is more than that according to the 53.1 MHz meteor radar. The meteor counts detected by the two radars vary with the local time and altitude. The meteor counts detected from 20 UTC to 02 UTC are the largest in the altitude range of 84–92 km, while the meteor counts detected from 09 UTC to 15 UTC are the lowest at other altitudes. Second, the more meteors detected by the two radars, the smaller the wind field differences retrieved by the two radars, and the closer the wind fields are to the real average wind field. Third, because the performance of the two radars is basically identical, except that the meteor counts detected by the two radars are different due to their different operating frequencies, the meteor count is the main system error of the wind fields retrieved, and the errors can be determined by the correlation coefficients of the wind fields retrieved by the two radars. Finally, in the altitude range of 76–100 km, the mean wind field differences of the two radars are less than 5 m/s.

Decadal Quasi-2-Day Wave Observations in the Equatorial Mesopause Region by a Meteor Radar over Kototabang (0.2°S, 100.3°E) and TIMED/TIDI and Comparison with Quasi-2-Day Wave Observations at Mid-Latitudes

We studied the characteristics of quasi-two-day wave (QTDW) using the meridional wind in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) obtained from a meteor radar over Kototabang (KB, 0.2°S, 100.3°E) from 2003 to 2012. Atmospheric oscillations have a crucial impact on atmospheric dynamics, which contributes to more accurate space weather forecasting, thus providing a more secure space environment for human space exploration activities such as remote sensing and satellite navigation. QTDWs are typical atmospheric oscillations in the upper stratosphere, mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The occurrence time, amplitudes, periods and vertical wavelengths of QTDW events are analyzed statistically. Data obtained from the TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI), which can measure wind and temperature and is onboard the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite, are used to analyze the global distribution and spatial structure of QTDWs with different zonal wavenumbers. The characteristics of the QTDWs over KB are compared with the QTDWs at the middle latitudes using the meridional wind data from a meteor radar over Wuhan (114.4°E, 30.6°N), Beijing (116.5°E, 39.9°N) and Mohe (121.1°E, 50.1°N). The amplitudes of the QTDW and spectral analysis are calculated by the least squares fitting method. Our results demonstrate that QTDWs are present almost all year around over KB. The occurrence time, amplitudes, periods and vertical wavelengths of QTDW events with different zonal wavenumbers are determined in this study. We also find that the statistical characteristics of the QTDWs in KB are different from those at middle latitudes. The westward zonal wavenumber −4 (W4) events gradually increase with increasing latitude, whereas westward zonal wavenumbers −1, −2, and −3 (W1, W2 and W3, respectively) events all decrease with increasing latitude.

Observed Quasi 16-Day Wave by Meteor Radar over 9 Years at Mengcheng (33.4°N, 116.5°E) and Comparison with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Simulation

In this study, we present nearly 9 years of the quasi16-day wave (Q16DW) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) wind at middle latitudes based on long-term wind observations between April 2014 and December 2022 by the Mengcheng (33.4°N, 116.5°E) meteor radar. There are two maxima in the Q16DW amplitude in the winter and early spring (near the equinox) and a minimum during the summer. The Q16DWs are relatively weak in meridional winds with no obvious seasonal variations. On average, the phase of the zonal Q16DW is larger than the meridional components with a mean difference that is slightly less than 90°, which suggests that there are orthogonal relationships between them. During the bursts of Q16DW, the periods in winter range between 15 and 18 d, whereas in summer, the periods of the planetary waves have a wider range. The wintertime Q16DW anomalies are, on average, amplified when the zonal wind shear anomalies increase, suggesting that barotropic instability may be a source of the Q16DW. Although the interannual variability of Q16DW amplitudes has been suggested observationally, there is no significant relationship between the interannual wind shear variability and Q16DW at most altitudes.

Anomalous Disturbance of the Ionosphere in the East Asia Region During the Geomagnetically Quiet Day on 1 November 2016

AbstractIn this study, multiple data sets from Beidou geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, ionosonde, magnetometer, Swarm satellite, and meteor radar were used to investigate an anomalous disturbance of the ionosphere in East Asia on 1 November 2016. During 03:00–08:00 universal time (UT), the total electron content (TEC) observed by the Beidou GEO satellite decreased by up to 8.17% at low latitudes and increased by up to 140.19% at middle to low latitudes in East Asia compared to the average TEC on the reference days. The F2 peak electron density (NmF2) measured by ionosondes decreased by 16.00% at Sanya (109.4°E, 18.3°N) and increased by 51.96% and 53.97% at Wuhan (114.4°E, 30.5°N) and Shaoyang (111.3°E, 27.1°N), respectively. The equatorial electric field (EEF) observed by the Swarm satellite at 06:59 UT on 1 November was approximately 77.57% higher than on 4 November. The variations of equatorial electrojet near 100°E and 120°E on 1 November presented an east‐west asymmetry in which there was a significant enhancement in the east while there was no obvious increase in the west. The TEC enhancement derived by the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe also showed the same east‐west asymmetry in the two longitudes. Based on the comprehensive analysis of multiple observational data, the increase in EEF caused the ionospheric TEC and NmF2 to decrease at low latitudes and increase at middle to low latitudes in East Asia during 03:00–08:00 UT on 1 November 2016. The lower atmospheric tidal forcing could contribute to the enhancement of the EEF.

Solar Cycle and Long‐Term Trends in the Observed Peak of the Meteor Altitude Distributions by Meteor Radars

AbstractThe mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT, 80–100 km) region is an important boundary between Earth's atmosphere below and space above and may act as a sensitive indicator for anthropogenic climate change. Existing observational and modeling studies have shown the middle atmosphere and the MLT is cooling and contracting because of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. However, trend analyses are highly sensitive to the time periods covered, their length, and the measurement type and methodology used. We present for the first time the linear and 11‐year solar cycle responses in the meteor ablation altitude distributions observed by 12 meteor radars at different locations. Decreasing altitudes were seen at all latitudes (linear trends varying from −10.97 to −817.95 m dec−1), and a positive correlation with solar activity was seen for most locations. The divergence of responses at high latitudes indicates an important and complex interplay between atmospheric changes and dynamics at varying time scales.

Atmospheric Gravity Wave Derived from the Neutral Wind with 5-Minute Resolution Routinely Retrieved by the Meteor Radar at Mohe

Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) are crucial for the understanding of general circulation. However, their dynamical characteristics are hardly retrieved due to the difficulty in the high-resolution observation of wind. Therefore, this paper uses eight years (2013–2020) of meteor radar measurements in the MLT region at Mohe station (53.5°N, 122.3°E), China, to retrieve high-temporal-resolution mesospheric wind data and further evaluate the temporal variation of GW kinetic energy. As the detected meteor trails exceed 6, the wind velocity is recalculated using the least square algorithm method, significantly increasing the temporal resolution of wind from 1 h up to 5 min. This resolution is sufficiently high for the investigation of GW kinetic energy, which exhibits a high spatial-temporal variability. For instance, it is enhanced in the winter season during the period of 0200–1400 UT and in the spring season during the period of 0800–1300 UT. The similarity between the climatological characteristics of GWs in MLT and the seasonal variation of GW total energy in the troposphere, determined from high-resolution radiosondes near to Mohe station, suggests that the meteorology in the lower atmosphere could be an important source of GWs in the MLT region.

Observation of MLT region winds and tides by the USTC Mengcheng meteor radar

The atmospheric winds and waves in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region are essential for studying the dynamics and climate in the middle and upper atmosphere. The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) meteor radar located at Mengcheng (33.36°N, 116.49°E) has been operating continuously since April 2014. More than 8 years of observation of mesospheric horizontal winds and tides are presented in this study. In addition, we present an intercomparison among the meteor radar observations and the Navy Global Environmental Model-High Altitude (NAVGEM-HA) analysis results. The meteor number at northern lower midlatitudes suffers from diurnal variations in meteor occurrence, with a high count rate in the local morning and a low rate during local afternoon-to-midnight. The meteor count rates show a clear annual variation, with a maximum in September–October and a minimum in February. The horizontal wind in the MLT region has dominant annual variations at lower midlatitudes, with the eastward wind during summer and the westward wind during winter above 84 km, and the eastward wind during winter and the westward wind during spring below 84 km. The meridional wind is northward during winter and southward during summer. The diurnal amplitude is dominant, followed by the semidiurnal tides at lower midlatitudes. The zonal and meridional diurnal tides show enhancements during spring (March) with amplitudes that can reach up to 40 m/s and 30 m/s and during autumn (September) with amplitudes that can reach up to 30 m/s and 25 m/s, respectively. The seasonal variations in diurnal tidal amplitude basically show characteristics that are strong during the equinox and weak during the solstice. The zonal and meridional semidiurnal tides are maximized during spring (April) and autumn (September) above 90 km.

Mesopause temperatures and relative densities at midlatitudes observed by the Mengcheng meteor radar

Mesopause temperatures and relative densities at midlatitudes observed by the Mengcheng meteor radar

Long‐Term Characteristics of the Meteor Radar Winds Observed at King Sejong Station, Antarctica

AbstractThe characteristics of the horizontal wind in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) at King Sejong Station (KSS) in the Antarctic Peninsula are investigated using approximately 15‐year (March 2007–November 2021) meteor radar (MR) observations. The 15‐year climatology and variability of the MLT winds at KSS are analyzed for the first time, and comparisons with the observations at other Antarctic stations are performed. The short‐period oscillations (periods between 2 hr and 10 days) of the winds, including tides and several planetary wave components, are examined for each month. Temporal and altitudinal variations in the amplitudes of the semidiurnal and diurnal tides, the two largest short‐period components, are analyzed. Annual and semiannual oscillations of the wind are distinct below and above z = 90 km, respectively. The long‐term trend of the zonal wind is estimated through a multiple linear regression analysis. Statistically significant trends of the zonal wind of ∼0.5–0.8 m s−1 yr−1 appear above z = 90 km in July. To understand observed MLT wind trends, the gravity‐wave momentum flux and gravity‐wave drag (GWD) in the MLT region are estimated from the MR observations at KSS for the 15 years. Similar seasonal variations are found between the trends of the zonal winds and zonal GWDs, especially above z = 94 km. In July where a strong positive zonal wind trend appears, positive correlation between the zonal wind and zonal GWDs is found to be statistically significant above z = 94 km.

Wavenumbers 3 and 4 Quasi 2‐day Wave Activities Observed by Multiple Meteor Radars in the Two Hemispheres During Austral Summer

AbstractCombining observations from three meteor radars in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and a meteor radar in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and reanalysis data, we present successive wavenumbers 3 and 4 (W3 and W4) quasi 2 day wave activities in austral summer. In the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, the wave exhibits two burst activities. The W3 dominates the first burst, while the W4 is the predominate mode in the second burst. The mode transition arises in the late January and is completed around the end of January. The W3 and W4 have the nearly same dominate period of about 46 hr and vertical wavelengths of 110 km in the SH and about 55–65 km in the NH, and the similar latitude and altitude distributions in the zonal and meridional winds and temperature, except stronger magnitude and farther extension in the NH for the W3. The analysis indicates that the unstable regions of the summer jets in the lower mesosphere and stratopause region have the boundaries which toward lower latitudes are largely consistent with the critical layers, and Eliassen‐Palm (EP) fluxes of the W3 and W4 increase rapidly near the unstable regions. This demonstrates that both the W3 and W4 originate from the jet instabilities. Nevertheless, the EP flux of the W3 shows a stronger transfer across the hemispheres than that of the W4. The W3 and W4 have the same period and vertical scale, which is different from previous reports.