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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 29, NO. 16, 1802, doi:10.1029/2002GL015288, 2002

The temperature structure of the winter atmosphere at South Pole

Weilin Pan

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

Chester S. Gardner

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

Raymond G. Roble

High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA

Abstract

Fe/Rayleigh lidar measurements and balloon observations made recently at the geographic South Pole are used to characterize the monthly mean winter temperature profiles from the surface to about 110 km. The measured temperatures during mid-winter in both the stratopause and mesopause regions are 20–30 K colder than current model predictions. These differences are caused by weaker than expected compressional heating associated with subsidence over the polar cap. The measured mesopause temperature responds much more rapidly to changes in sunlight than model predictions, which suggests that IR heating by CO₂ absorption may also be important to the thermal balance in the mesopause region.

Published 28 August 2002.

Index Terms: 3334 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Middle atmosphere dynamics (0341, 0342); 0350 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Pressure, density, and temperature; 3349 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Polar meteorology; 3319 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: General circulation; 1610 Global Change: Atmosphere (0315, 0325).

Subscriber Access to Full Article (Nonsubscribers may purchase for $9.00, Includes print PDF, file size: 175994 bytes)

Citation: Pan, W., C. S. Gardner, and R. G. Roble (2002), The temperature structure of the winter atmosphere at South Pole, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(16), 1802, doi:10.1029/2002GL015288.

Copyright 2002 by the American Geophysical Union.