Semidiurnal tidal signature in sporadic E occurrence rates derived from GPS radio occultation measurements at higher midlatitudes

• Published in: Annales geophysicae (1988) Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 2555 - 2563
• Main Authors: ARRAS, C, JACOBI, C, WICKERT, J
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Göttingen Copernicus 24-06-2009; Copernicus GmbH; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Global Positioning System; Physics of the ionosphere; Physics of the magnetosphere; Central Europe; Europe; Germany; Mid latitude; Thermosphere; Sporadic E; Ionosphere (Ionosphere-atmosphere interactions; Occurrence frequency; Zonal wind; Mid-latitude ionosphere; Semidiurnal tide; Global Positioning System; diurnal variations; Atmospheric dynamics; Radio occultation; Northern Hemisphere; meteors; Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (Thermospheric dynamics); Wind shear; Ionosphere (Ionosphere-atmosphere interactions Mid-latitude ionosphere)
• ISSN: 0992-7689; 1432-0576; 1432-0576
• DOI: 10.5194/angeo-27-2555-2009

GPS (Global Positioning System) Radio occultation (RO) measurements from CHAMP, GRACE and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites at Northern Hemisphere midlatitides (50°–55° N) are analysed to obtain the diurnal variation of sporadic E layer occurrence frequency in 2006 and 2007. Interconnections with zonal wind shears measured by meteor radar at Collm (51.3° N, 13° E), Germany, are investigated. According to theory, maximum Es occurrence is expected when the zonal wind shear, which is mainly produced by the semidiurnal tide in midlatitudes, is negative. This is confirmed by the present measurements and analysis.