This study investigates the response of the semidiurnal tide (SDT) to the 2013 major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event using meteor radar wind observations and mechanistic tidal model simulations. In the model, the background atmosphere is constrained to meteorological fields from the Navy Global Environmental Model - High Altitude analysis system. The solar (thermal) and lunar (gravitational) SDT components are forced by incorporating hourly global temperature tendency fields from the ERA5 forecast model, and by specifying the M2 and N2 lunar gravitational potentials, respectively. The simulated SDT response is compared against meteor wind observations from the CMOR (43.3◦N, 80.8◦W), Collm (51.3◦N, 13.0◦E), and Kiruna (67.5◦N, 20.1◦E) radars, showing close agreement with the observed amplitude and phase variability. Numerical experiments investigate the individual roles of the solar and lunar SDT components in shaping the net SDT response. Further experiments isolate the impact of changing propagation conditions through the zonal mean background atmosphere, non-linear wave-wave interactions, and the SSW-induced stratospheric ozone redistribution. Results indicate that between 80-97 km altitude in the northern hemisphere mid-to-high latitudes the net SDT response is driven by the solar SDT component, which itself is shaped by changing propagation conditions through the zonal mean background atmosphere and by non-linear wave-wave interactions. In addition, it is demonstrated that as a result of the rapidly varying solar SDT during the SSW the contribution of the lunar SDT to the total measured tidal field can be significantly overestimated.

The MADEIRA project (Middle Atmosphere Dynamics: Exploiting Infrasound Using a Multidisciplinary Approach at High Latitudes) is a four-year basic research project finishing in the spring 2023, funded by the Research Council of Norway. Its primary objective has been in elucidating the 30-60 km altitude range over large spatial scales using wind and temperature constraints from infrasound data collected at Arctic stations. Wave propagation modelling and infrasound interpretation from well-characterized sources provide remote atmospheric sensing. These data are more continuous in space and time than from many other direct measurement techniques. An aim has been to constrain high-top atmospheric models and explore stratosphere-mesosphere coupling with meteor radar wind measurements sampling the 70-100 km altitude range in combination with the infrasonic data. Another ambition has been to develop real-time diagnostic tools for the stratospheric polar vortex circulation and extreme events like Sudden Stratospheric Warmings. Thanks to this project, the research teams have got the opportunity to explore several aspects and building blocks related to infrasound-based middle atmospheric probing and to work towards an assimilation of such datasets into atmospheric models. This paper reviews key research output from the project and highlights accomplishments in the domains of, e.g.: Tropospheric and stratospheric cross-wind estimation using infrasound from explosions; Assimilation of atmospheric infrasound data to constrain tropospheric and stratospheric winds; Atmospheric wind and temperature profile inversion in an ensemble model context; Microbarom radiation and propagation model benchmarking; Speeding up infrasound transmission loss estimation using deep learning; Probing internal middle atmospheric gravity waves; Using a machine learning and stochastics-founded model to provide near real-time stratospheric polar vortex diagnostics. This project has included several high risk / high gain components and we highlight results that maybe could be labelled as unexpected successes, but we also discuss challenging research obstacles that occurred in our journey.

Simulations of the solar thermal migrating semidiurnal (SW2) tide in the mesosphere-lower-thermosphere (MLT) are compared against meteor wind observations from a longitudinal chain of high-latitude SuperDARN radars. The simulations span two full years and are performed using a 3D non-linear mechanistic primitive equation model. In our model, the background Middle Atmosphere is specified to daily mean zonal mean winds and temperatures from the Navy Global Environmental Model - High Altitude (NAVGEM-HA) meteorological analysis system. Thermal tides are forced from the surface to the thermosphere using 3-hourly temperature tendency fields from the Specified Dynamics Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model With Thermosphere and Ionosphere Extension (SD-WACCMX). Our model accurately reproduces the observed seasonal cycle in the SW2 amplitude and phase, with the exception of summertime amplitudes being overestimated. Sensitivity studies reveal the impact of the seasonal variations in the background atmosphere and tidal forcing. The tropospheric forcing response is found to be highly sensitive to the seasonal variations in the background atmosphere, leading to strong amplification during the summer and mid-winter months. In contrast, the stratospheric forcing response is found to be much less sensitive to the background atmosphere, while being similar in magnitude to the tropospheric forcing response. Based on simulations using a zero-wind atmosphere, the impact of seasonal variations in the tidal forcing is found to be very small for both the tropospheric and stratospheric forcing response. Furthermore, the inclusion of an idealized surface friction profile is found to delay the phase of the tropospheric forcing response, which can strongly impact the simulated tide at MLT altitudes. Both the tropospheric forcing response and the surface friction specification are identified as being possible factors contributing to summertime amplitudes being overestimated.

Ground-based remote sensing of atmospheric parameters is often limited to single station observations by vertical profiles at a certain geographic location. This is a limiting factor for investigating gravity wave dynamics as the spatial information is often missing, e.g., horizontal wavelength, propagation direction or intrinsic frequency. In this study, we present a new retrieval algorithm for multistatic meteor radar networks to obtain tomographic 3-D wind fields within a pre-defined domain area. The algorithm is part of the Agile Software for Gravity wAve Regional Dynamics (ASGARD) and called 3D-Var, and based on the optimal estimation technique and Bayesian statistics. The performance of the 3D-Var retrieval is demonstrated using two meteor radar networks: the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster and the Chilean Observation Network De Meteor Radars (CONDOR). The optimal estimation implementation provide statistically sound solutions and diagnostics from the averaging kernels and measurement response. We present initial scientific results such as body forces of breaking gravity waves leading to two counter-rotating vortices and horizontal wavelength spectra indicating a transition between the rotational k−3 and divergent k-5/3 mode at scales of 80–120 km. In addition, we performed a keogram analysis over extended periods to reflect the latitudinal and temporal impact of a minor sudden stratospheric warming in December 2019. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the 3D-Var algorithm to perform large-scale retrievals to derive meteorological wind maps covering a latitude region from Svalbard, north of the European Arctic mainland, to central Norway.

This work presents a comprehensive evaluation of tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere‐ionosphere eXtension (WACCMX) and data assimilation provided by the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) ensemble Kalman filter. A total of 26 diurnal and semidiurnal tidal components are calculated using the latest hourly data assimilation cycling during January 12–March 15, 2009 time period. When averaged over this entire yaw cycle, most tidal components display a latitudinal and vertical structures similar to that observed by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER). However, WACCMX + DART amplitudes of some diurnal tidal components are a factor of ∼1.2–2 times smaller and the peak altitudes and latitudes are shifted compared to SABER. The amplitudes of semidiurnal tides are likewise underestimated in the model, as well as being shifted in altitude and latitude, and some wavenumbers are not captured. Daily tidal variations are calculated in the model and compared with SABER and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radar observations. Both the model and the radars show an amplification of the migrating semidiurnal tide during the week following the peak SSW. Enhancements in nonmigrating diurnal tides are also shown around the SSW peak, which could be produced by the nonlinear interaction between migrating tides and planetary waves. This study finds that, despite using data assimilation to constrain model dynamics, more work is needed in order to accurately simulate the full tidal spectrum and responses to SSWs in the MLT region.

Using the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network observations (clustered around 60°N) and NCAR CESM2.0 extended Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model nudged with reanalyzes, we examine the climatology of semidiurnal tides in meridional wind associated with the migrating component (SW2) and non‐migrating components of wavenumbers 1 (SW1) and 3 (SW3). We then illustrate their composite response to major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). Peaking in late summer and winter, the climatological SW2 amplitude exceeds SW1 and SW3 except around late Fall and Spring. The winter climatological peak is absent in the model perhaps due to the zonal wind bias at the observed altitudes. The observed SW2 amplitude declines after SSW onset before enhancing ∼10 days later, along with SW1 and SW3. Within the observed region, the simulated SW2 only amplifies after SSW onset, with minimal SW1 and SW3 responses. The model reveals a stronger SW2 response above the observed location, with diminished amplitude before and enhancement after SSW globally. This enhancement appears related to increased equatorial ozone heating and background wind symmetry. The strongest SW1 and SW3 growth occurs in the Southern Hemisphere before SSW. SW2 and quasi‐stationary planetary wave activities are temporally collocated during SSW suggesting that their interactions excite SW1 and SW3. After SSW, the model also reveals (1) semidiurnal‐tide‐like perturbations generated possibly by the interactions between SW2 and westward‐traveling disturbances and (2) the enhancement of migrating semidiurnal lunar tide in the Northern Hemisphere that exceeds non‐migrating tidal and semidiurnal‐tide‐like responses. The simulated eastward‐propagating semidiurnal tides are briefly examined.

Solar thermal (migrating) atmospheric tides play an important role in shaping the day-to-day and seasonal variability of the Mesosphere-Lower-Thermosphere (MLT) region. Due the planetary scale of the migrating tides, observations have, however, remained sparse. This study uses meteor-echo wind measurements from a longitudinal array of SuperDARN HF-radars to isolate the amplitude and phase of the migrating diurnal, semidiurnal, and terdiurnal tide. The array of SuperDARN radars, covering nearly 180 degrees longitude at 60±5 degrees North, provide hourly horizontal wind measurements at approximately 95km altitude. The migrating components of the tides are isolated by fitting wave surfaces in space and time. The results are compared with global synoptic wind analyses from the high-altitude version of the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM-HA) to validate the method. The tides are also compared against those measured at a single station by the Trondheim (66N, 10E) meteor radar. We will present the method, a comparison between (migrating) tidal components in SuperDARN, NAVGEM-HA and the Trondheim meteor radar between 2014 and 2015, and migrating tide climatologies based on 21 years of SuperDARN data.

This study uses hourly meteor wind measurements from a longitudinal array of 10 high-latitude SuperDARN high-frequency (HF) radars to isolate the migrating diurnal, semidiurnal, and terdiurnal tides at mesosphere–lower-thermosphere (MLT) altitudes. The planetary-scale array of radars covers 180∘ of longitude, with 8 out of 10 radars being in near-continuous operation since the year 2000. Time series spanning 16 years of tidal amplitudes and phases in both zonal and meridional wind are presented, along with their respective annual climatologies. The method to isolate the migrating tides from SuperDARN meteor winds is validated using 2 years of winds from a high-altitude meteorological analysis system. The validation steps demonstrate that, given the geographical spread of the radar stations, the derived tidal modes are most closely representative of the migrating tides at 60∘ N. Some of the main characteristics of the observed migrating tides are that the semidiurnal tide shows sharp phase jumps around the equinoxes and peak amplitudes during early fall and that the terdiurnal tide shows a pronounced secondary amplitude peak around day of year (DOY) 265. In addition, the diurnal tide is found to show a bi-modal circular polarization phase relation between summer and winter.

We analyze dataset of infrasound observations from surface military explosions in northern Finland which occur yearly in August and September since 1988. The transient nature of these events allows for identification of returns reflected (or scattered) both from stratospheric and from mesospheric - lower thermospheric (MLT) altitudes. The infrasound data were recorded at Norwegian infrasound-array station around 200 km north of the explosion site. In this study, we use the measured travel-time and backazimuth deviation of the arriving infrasound wavefronts to estimate snapshots of the MLT cross-wind averaged along the propagation path. The spatial extent of that averaging process is explored, and the MLT wind estimates retrieved from infrasound data are presented and compared against high-top atmospheric model winds.

Spectroscopy of the hydroxyl (OH) airglow has been a commonly used way to remotely sense temperatures in the mesopause region for many decades. This technique relies on the OH rotational state populations to be thermalized through collisions with the surrounding gas into a Boltzmann distribution characterized by the local temperature. However, deviations of the rotational populations from a Boltzmann distribution characterized by a single temperature have been observed and attributed to an incomplete thermalization of the OH from its initial, non-thermodynamic-equilibrium distribution. Here we address an additional cause for the apparent amount of excess population in the higher rotational levels of the OH airglow brought about by integrating these OH emissions through vertical gradients in the atmospheric temperature. We find that up to 40% of the apparent excess population, currently attributed to incomplete thermalization, can be due to the vertical temperature gradients created by waves. Additionally, we find that the populations of the different upper vibrational levels are affected differently. These effects need to be taken into account in order to assess the true extent of non-thermodynamic-equilibrium effects on the OH rotational populations.

Recent studies on infrasonic signatures related to atmospheric tides are mostly focused on stratospherically ducted infrasound or on tidal signatures in recorded infrasound signal power.In the current work, we address microbarom infrasound ducted by mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) waveguides and the associated infrasound apparent velocity (trace velocity) of arrivals at a ground-based array station in northern Norway.A hypothesis is that the infrasound apparent velocity – which is related to the incidence angle of the wavefront impinging the station – is linked to the altitude of the final refraction of the infrasound waves. This altitude would be affected by the regional MLT tidal pattern.We apply specialized beamforming and filtering recipes to highlight the MLT-ducted microbarom arrivals and we find semidiurnal patterns in the infrasound apparent velocity measurements.

Using meteor wind data from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) in the Northern Hemisphere, we (1) demonstrate that the migrating (Sun-synchronous) tides can be separated from the nonmigrating components in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region and (2) use this to determine the response of the different components of the semidiurnal tide (SDT) to sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) conditions. The radars span a limited range of latitudes around 60 degrees N and are located over nearly 180 degrees of longitude. The migrating tide is extracted from the nonmigrating components observed in the meridional wind recorded from meteor ablation drift velocities around 95-km altitude, and a 20-year climatology of the different components is presented. The well-documented late summer and wintertime maxima in the semidiurnal winds are shown to be due primarily to the migrating SDT, whereas during late autumn and spring the nonmigrating components are at least as strong as the migrating SDT. The robust behavior of the SDT components during SSWs is then examined by compositing 13 SSW events associated with an elevated stratopause recorded between 1995 and 2013. The migrating SDT is seen to reduce in amplitude immediately after SSW onset and then return anomalously strongly around 10-17days after the SSW onset. We conclude that changes in the underlying wind direction play a role in modulating the tidal amplitude during the evolution of SSWs and that the enhancement in the midlatitude migrating SDT (previously reported in modeling studies) is observed in the MLT at least up to 60 degrees N.

Spectroscopic measurements of the hydroxyl (OH) airglow emissions are often used to infer neutral temperatures near the mesopause. Correct Einstein coefficients for the various transitions in the OH airglow are needed to calculate accurate temperatures. However, studies showed experimentally and theoretically that the most commonly used Einstein spontaneous emission transition probabilities for the Q-branch of the OH Meinel (6,2) transition are overestimated. Extending their work to several Δv = 2 and 3 transitions from v′ = 3 to 9, we have determined Einstein coefficients for the first four Q-branch rotational lines. These have been derived from high resolution, high signal to noise spectroscopic observations of the OH airglow in the night sky from the Nordic Optical Telescope. The Q-branch Einstein coefficients calculated from these spectra show that values currently tabulated in the HITRAN database overestimate many of the Q-branch transition probabilities. The implications for atmospheric temperatures derived from OH Q-branch measurements are discussed.