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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 28, NO. 7, PAGES 1203–1206, 2001

Lidar Observations of Polar Mesospheric Clouds at South Pole: Seasonal Variations

Xinzhao Chu

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA

Chester S. Gardner

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA

George Papen

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA

Abstract

Polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) were observed above the geographic South Pole by an Fe Boltzmann temperature lidar from 11 Dec 99 to 24 Feb 00. During this 76-day period 297 h of observations were made on 33 different days and PMCs were detected 66.5% of the time. The mean PMC peak backscatter ratio, peak volume backscatter coefficient, total backscatter coefficient, layer centroid altitude, and layer rms width are 50.59 ± 2.33, 2.70 ± 0.12×10⁻⁹ m⁻¹sr⁻¹, 3.61 ± 0.22×10⁻⁶ sr⁻¹, 85.49 ± 0.09 km, and 0.71 ± 0.03 km, respectively. The PMCs are highest near summer solstice when upwelling over the pole is strongest. The altitudes are 2-4 km higher than that typically observed elsewhere, including the North Pole. After solstice the mean altitudes decreases by about 64 m/day as the upwelling weakens.

Received 25 October 2000; accepted 12 January 2001.

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Citation: Chu, X., C. S. Gardner, and G. Papen (2001), Lidar Observations of Polar Mesospheric Clouds at South Pole: Seasonal Variations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(7), 1203–1206.

Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.