Middle Atmosphere Lidar Observations in Southern Argentina and the South Pole

Kurzfassung

We give an overview of past and current Rayleigh lidar measurements of atmospheric temperature from 30-90 km altitude conducted in the lee of the Southern Andes and at the South Pole at night time. Both sites are complementary to study middle atmosphere dynamics, as one is located close to the edge of the southern polar vortex, and one in its center. This impacts the strength and types of gravity waves observed by means of temperature perturbations. At Rio Grande in southern Argentina, the CORAL lidar observes high-amplitude, intermittent mountain waves of long vertical wavelength, while at the South Pole, the TELMA lidar more often measures constant, inertia-gravity waves of shorter vertical wavelength. Both lidars accompany Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mappers (AMTMs) faciliting comparisons of mesospheric gravity wave activity with spatial soundings in the OH layer, and the one in Rio Grande is at a latitude suitable for comparisons with the AWE instrument. Besides temperature and gravity waves, the lidars also detect stratospheric aerosol and polar stratospheric clouds, and the one in Rio Grande also noctilucent clouds.