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At least 19 records

The Atmospheric Tides Middle Atmosphere Program (ATMAP)

Atmospheric tides, oscillations in meteorological fields occurring at subharmonics of a solar or lunar day, comprise a major component of middle atmosphere global dynamics. The purpose of the 1982 to 1986 Atmospheric Tides Atmosphere Program (ATMAP) was to foster an interaction between experimentalists, data analysts, and theoreticians and modelers, in order to better understand the physical mechanisms governing tides and their relationships to other scales of motion, and to thereby explain features of observed tidal structures in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. The ATMAP consisted of seven observational campaigns, five workshops and a climatological study. A historical perspective is provided along with a summary of major results, conclusions, and recommendations for future study which have emerged from the ATMAP.

Forbes, J. M.↗

Atmospheric Tides Middle Atmosphere Program (ATMAP): Report of the workshop, Kyoto, Japan, December 5-6, 1984

Experimentalists, data analysts, and theoreticians were brought together to study and interpret the results of four solstice campaigns conducted prior to the symposium. Emphasis was placed on campaigns III and V. Topics discussed included: review of the data and evaluation of the consistency with available theoretical models; interpretation of the data; recommendations on how the Atmospheric Tides Middle Atmosphere Program (ATMAP) results should reach the open literature such that the advancement of middle atmosphere science and the proprietary rights of the individual experimenters are best served; and recommendations concerning future campaigns and the future emphasis of ATMAP.

Forbes, J. M.↗

Atmospheric Tides Middle Atmosphere Program (ATMAP): Report of the November/december 1981, and May 1982, Observational Campaigns

Atmospheric tides, oscillations in meteorological fields occurring at subharmonics of a solar or lunar day, comprise a major component of middle atmosphere global dynamics. The nature of atmospheric tides requires investigations and coordination on a global, and hence international, scale. The purpose of ATMAP is to create an interaction among observationalists, data analysts, theoreticians and modellers working towards common goals. The focus for this interaction is a series of global observational campaigns involving ground based remote sensing methods. The calendar of activities for ATMAP is presented. The results of solstice campaigns I and II are assembled, a preliminary interpretation of the results is presented.

Jeffrey M Forbes↗

Atmospheric Tides in Gale Crater, Mars

Atmospheric tides are the primary source of daily air pressure variation at the surface of Mars. These tides are forced by solar heating of the atmosphere and modulated by the presence of atmospheric dust, topography, and surface albedo and thermal inertia. This results in a complex mix of sun-synchronous and nonsun- synchronous tides propagating both eastward and westward around the planet in periods that are integer fractions of a solar day. The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station on board the Mars Science Laboratory has observed air pressure at a regular cadence for over 1 Mars year and here we analyze and diagnose atmospheric tides in this pressure record. The diurnal tide amplitude varies from 26 to 63 Pa with an average phase of 0424 local true solar time, while the semidiurnal tide amplitude varies from 5 to 20 Pa with an average phase of 0929. We find that both the diurnal and semidiurnal tides in Gale Crater are highly correlated to atmospheric opacity variations at a value of 0.9 and to each other at a value of 0.77, with some key exceptions occurring during regional and local dust storms. We supplement our analysis with MarsWRF general circulation modeling to examine how a local dust storm impacts the diurnal tide in its vicinity. We find that both the diurnal tide amplitude enhancement and regional coverage of notable amplitude enhancement linearly scales with the size of the local dust storm. Our results provide the first long-term record of surface pressure tides near the martian equator.

Guzewich, Scott D,↗

Middle atmosphere tides

The recent direction of theoretical and observational research in middle atmosphere tides is reviewed. The diurnal tide has received considerable emphasis, including observations of evanescent components at high latitudes, numerical simulations of nonmigrating propagating components due to longitudinally varying water vapor insolation absorption in the troposphere, and implications and origins of unsteadiness in tidal oscillations over periods of days. Recent analyses of Nimbus 7 LIMS temperatures and partial reflection drift measurements of neutral winds in the tropical mesosphere have also emphasized the diurnal propagating tide. A description of the Atmospheric Tides Middle Atmosphere Program (ATMAP) and an overview of ATMAP campaign results are also presented.

Forbes, J. M.↗

Atmospheric tides and the rotation of Venus. I - Tidal theory and the balance of torques

Insolation absorbed by the surface of Venus is quickly redeposited at the bottom of the atmosphere. This periodic heating causes mass to flow away from the warm afternoon side of the planet and into the cooler morning region. The Sun's gravitational field exerts a torque on this atmospheric tide tending to accelerate the retrograde zonal circulation. When this torque is transmitted to the crust, it can balance the despinning effect of tides in the body of Venus. The slow retrograde rotation of Venus may be a steady state among tides in the atmosphere, tides in the solid body, and possibly the influence of the Earth.

Dobrovolskis, A. R.↗

MST radar detection of middle atmosphere tides

Meteorological and dynamical requirements pertaining to the specification of middle atmosphere tides by the MST radar technique are outlined. Major issues addressed include: (1) the extraction of tidal information from measurements covering a fraction of a day; (2) the ramifications of transient effects (tidal variability) on the determination and interpretation of tides; (3) required temporal and spatial resolutions and; (4) global distributions of MST radars, so as to complement existing MST, meteor wind, and partial reflection drift radar locations.

Forbes, J. M.↗

Simultaneous Observations of Atmospheric Tides from Combined in Situ and Remote Observations at Mars from the MAVEN Spacecraft

We report the observations of longitudinal variations in the Martian thermosphere associated with nonmigrating tides. Using the Neutral Gas Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) and the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) on NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission (MAVEN) spacecraft, this study presents the first combined analysis of in situ and remote observations of atmospheric tides at Mars for overlapping volumes, local times, and overlapping date ranges. From the IUVS observations, we determine the altitude and latitudinal variation of the amplitude of the nonmigrating tidal signatures, which is combined with the NGIMS, providing information on the compositional impact of these waves. Both the observations of airglow from IUVS and the CO2 density observations from NGIMS reveal a strong wave number 2 signature in a fixed local time frame. The IUVS observations reveal a strong latitudinal dependence in the amplitude of the wave number 2 signature. Combining this with the accurate CO2 density observations from NGIMS, this would suggest that the CO2 density variation is as high as 27% at 0-10 deg latitude. The IUVS observations reveal little altitudinal dependence in the amplitude of the wave number 2 signature, varying by only 20% from 160 to 200 km. Observations of five different species with NGIMS show that the amplitude of the wave number 2 signature varies in proportion to the inverse of the species scale height, giving rise to variation in composition as a function of longitude. The analysis and discussion here provide a roadmap for further analysis as additional coincident data from these two instruments become available.

atmospheric tides↗

Atmospheric tides and the rotation of Venus. II - Spin evolution

Tides in the atmosphere of Venus may help to stabilize its slow retrograde rotation. The frequency dependence of the body tides also affects its rotational stability. However, the obliquity is probably maintained near 180 deg by friction between the core and mantle of Venus. In any case, it appears most likely that Venus originated with an obliquity greater than 90 deg.

Dobrovolskis, A. R.↗

Middle Atmosphere Tides at Christchurch (44 Deg S, 17 Deg E) in November 1981 and May 1982

Atmospheric tides at Christchurch were measured at heights of 80 to 100 km, in 2.5 km intervals during the ATMAP campaigns of November 1981 and May 1982. Average components for the 5-day periods, November 19 to 23 and May 3 to 7, were extracted by making an equally weighted least squares fit to the hourly mean values, using the sum of mean, diurnal and semidiurnal terms. Estimates of standard deviation from the least squares fit tend to be less than the variability between successive 5-day samples, but 5 to 8 ms(-1) and 2 to 3 h are typical. At altitudes below 83 km there may be gaps of up to 6 hours during the night which may generate a systematic error in the components. Amplitude and phase characteristics are generally consistent with November 1980 and 1982 and May 1981, although the amplitude of the diurnal EW tide was low in November 1981, with consequent large phase fluctuations.

Fraser, G. J.↗

Venus' rotation and atmospheric tides

On the basis of a presented theory, it is suggested that Venus' current rotation is a stable balance between atmospheric and solar body tides. The theory is concerned with Venus' atmospheric tides, driven by solar heating, and how these tides could serve as a third torque to balance the effects of solar body torque and to maintain a stable equilibrium resonance with regard to the earth's gravitational effects. In the absence of the atmospheric tidal torque, or some other torque, it would be expected that Venus would be despun until synchronous rotation (one side always facing the sun) is attained, rather than retain the retrograde rotation period of 243 days.

Ingersoll, A. P.↗

The Role of Gravity Waves in Generating Equatorial Oscillations in Modulating Atmospheric Tides

We discuss a Numerical Spectral Mode (NSM) that extends from the ground up into the thermosphere and incorporates Hines' Doppler spread parameterization (DSP) for small scale gravity waves (GW). This model is applied to describe the seasonal variations in the mean zonal circulation, the semi-annual and quasi-biennial oscillations (SAO and QBO), as well as the tides and planetary waves in the middle atmosphere. Initial results showed that this model can reproduce the salient features observed, including the QBO extending into the upper mesosphere inferred from UARS measurements. The model has now been extended to simulate also: (a) the zonal circulation of the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere, and (b) the upwelling at equatorial latitudes associated with the Brewer Dobsen circulation that affects the dynamics significantly as pointed out by Dunkerton. Upward vertical winds increase the period of the QBO observed from the ground. To compensate for that, one needs to increase in the model the eddy diffusivity and the GW momentum flux, bringing the latter closer to values recommended in the DSP. This development is conducive to extending the QBO and SAO to higher latitudes through global scale momentum redistribution. Multi-year interannual oscillations are generated through wave filtering by the solar driven annual oscillation in the zonal circulation. In a 3D version of the model, wave momentum is absorbed and dissipated by tides and planetary waves. A somewhat larger GW source (well within the DSP range) is then required to generate realistic QBO and SAO amplitudes. Since GW momentum is deposited in the altitude regime of increasing winds, the amplitude of the diurnal tide is amplified and its vertical wavelength is reduced at altitudes between 70 and 120 km. Wave filtering by the mean zonal circulation causes the GW flux to peak during equinox, and this produces a large semi-annual variation in the tide that has been observed on UARS. Without the diurnal tide, the semidiurnal tide would also be modulated in this way. But the diurnal tide filters out the GW preferentially during equinox, so that the semidiurnal tide tends to peak during solstice. Under the influence of GW, the tides are modulated significantly by planetary waves that are generated preferentially during solstice in part due to baroclinic instability.

Mayr, H. G.↗