First studies of mesosphere and lower thermosphere dynamics using a
multistatic specular meteor radar network over southern Patagonia
Abstract
This paper presents for the first time results on winds, tides,
gradients of horizontal winds, and momentum fluxes at mesosphere and
lower thermosphere (MLT) altitudes over southern Patagonia, one of the
most dynamically active regions in the world. For this purpose,
measurements provided by SIMONe Argentina are investigated. SIMONe
Argentina is a novel multistatic specular meteor radar system that
implements a SIMONe (Spread Spectrum Interferometric Multistatic meteor
radar Observing Network) approach, and that has been operating since the
end of September 2019. Average counts of more than 30000 meteor
detections per day result in tidal estimates with statistical
uncertainties of less than 1 m/s. Thanks to the multistatic
configuration, horizontal and vertical gradients of the horizontal winds
are obtained, as well as vertical winds free from horizontal divergence
contamination. The daily averages of these preliminary results on the
gradients are consistent with the expected MLT behavior during the
summer and a strong southern hemisphere polar vortex. Mean momentum
fluxes are estimated after removing the effects of mean winds using a
four-hour, four-kilometer window in time and altitude, respectively.
Reasonable statistical uncertainties of the momentum fluxes are obtained
after applying a 28-day averaging. Therefore, the momentum flux
estimates presented in this paper represent monthly mean values of waves
with periods of four hours or less, vertical wavelengths shorter than
four kilometers, and horizontal scales less than 400 km.