Semi-empirical model of middle atmosphere wind from the ground to the lower thermosphere

Abstract

During recent years, special attention has been paid to understanding the background circulation of the middle atmosphere. Particularly in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT) region, this has involved including data from a range of new radar measurements. It has also involved the comparison of existing empirical middle atmosphere wind models, such as CIRA-86 and HWM-93 to the new data. This has led to the construction of empirical models of MLT winds such as the Global Empirical Wind Model (GEWM). Further investigations are aimed at the construction of new empirical and semi-empirical wind models of the entire middle atmosphere including these new experimental results. The results of a new wind climatology (0-100 km) are presented here, based upon the GEWM, a reanalysis of stratospheric data, and a numerical model which is used to fill the gap between data from the stratospheric and MLT regions. © 2008 COSPAR.