Skip to main content
  • Article
  • Published:

VHF radar and MF/HF dynasonde observations during Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes conditions at EISCAT

Abstract

The EISCAT VHF radar (224 MHz) and the EISCAT dynasonde (1–10 MHz) were operated simultaneously during a Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes (PMSE) event on 22 June 1994. We investigate the echo characteristics revealed by these two instruments. The antenna of the VHF radar was set 10° off-zenith to the north for both transmission and receiving, while the dynasonde was operated with vertical beam to record ionograms every 3 minutes. The Height-Time-Intensity (HTI) variation of the VHF radar PMSE is studied, which is characterized layered structures. The intensity profiles are quite intermittent which show similarity to those data recorded by the dynasonde. To study the ionospheric condition with the dynasonde, the quantities of signal-to-noise ratio, echo frequency, echo polarization, echolocation, and Doppler velocity are investigated. Variations in the quantities demonstrate that during the PMSE conditions, echoes of the dynasonde are mainly attributed by reflection of many small irregularities within the observed ionospheric volume.

References

  • Bremer, J., P. Hoffmann, A. H. Manson, C. E. Meek, R. Ruster, and W. Singer, PMSE observations at three different frequencies in Northern Europe during summer 1994, Ann. Geophysicae, 14, 1317–1327, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Budden, K. G., The propagation of radio waves, Cambridge University Press, 1985.

  • Cho, J. Y. N. and M. C. Kelley, Polar mesosphere summer radar echoes: observations and current theories, Rev. Geophys., 31, 243–365, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, J. Y. N. and J. Rottger, An updated review of polar mesosphere summer echoes: Observation, theory, and their relationship to noctilucent clouds and subvisible aerosols, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 2001–2020, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Czechowsky, P., I. M. Reid, R. Ruster, and G. Schmidt, VHF radar echoes observed in the summer and winter polar mesosphere over Andfya, Norway, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 5199–5271, 1989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ecklund, W. L. and B. B. Balsley, Long-term observations of the Arctic mesosphere with the MST radar Poker Flat, Alaska, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 7775–7780, 1981.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hocking, W. K., Measurement of turbulent energy dissipation rates in the middle atmosphere by radar techniques: A review, Radio Sci., 20, 1403–1422, 1985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • La Hoz, C, J. Rottger, M. Rietveld, G. Wannberg, and S. J. Frank, The status and planned developments of EISCAT in mesosphere and D-region experiments, Middle Atmos. Program Hanbd., 28, 476–488, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C. C, J. Y. Liu, C. J. Pan, and K. Igarashi, The heights of sporadic-E layer simultaneously observed by the VHF radar and ionosondes in Chung-Li, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 641–644, 2000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C. C, J. Y. Liu, C. J. Pan, and C. H. Liu, Doppler velocities obtained by the EISCAT VHF radar and the dynasonde during the PMSE95 campaign, J. Atmos. Solar Terr. Phys., 63, 193–199, 2001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lubken, F. J., M. Rapp, T. Blix, and E. Thrane, Microphysical and turbulent measurements of the Schmidt number in the vicinity of polar mesosphere summer echoes, Geophy Res. Lett., 25, 893–896, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pitteway, M. L. V. and J. W. Wright, Toward and optimum receiving array and pulse set for the Dynasonde, Radio Sci., 27, 481–490, 1992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rottger, J., Polar mesosphere summer echoes: dynamics and aeronomy on the mesosphere, Adv. Space Res., 14, (9)123–(9)137, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Titheridge, J. E., Ionogram Analysis with the Generalized Program PLOAN, Rep. UAG-93, World Data Center A for Solar Terr. Phys., 1985.

  • Tsai, L.-C, F. T. Berkey, and G. S. Stiles, On the derivation of an improved parameter configuration for the Dynasonde, Radio Sci, 28, 785–793, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulwick, J. C, K. D. Baker, M. C. Kelly, B. B. Balsley, and W. L. Ecklund, Comparison of simultaneous MST radar and electron density probe measurements during STATE, J. Geophys. Res., 93, 6989–7000, 1988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, J. W. and M. L. V. Pitteway, Real-time data acquisition and interpretation capabilities of the Dynasonde 1. Data acquisition and real-time display, Radio Sci., 14(5), 815–825, 1979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, J. W. and M. L. V. Pitteway, High-resolution vector velocity determinations from the dynasonde, J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 56, 961–977, 1994.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jann-Yenq Liu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, JY., Pan, CJ. & Lee, CC. VHF radar and MF/HF dynasonde observations during Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes conditions at EISCAT. Earth Planet Sp 54, 691–698 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351720

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03351720

Keywords