PMSE observations at three different frequencies in northern Europe during summer 1994

Abstract

Simultaneous observations of polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) have been carried out during summer 1994 in northern Norway using three radars on different frequencies: the ALOMAR SOUSY radar at Andenes on 53.5 MHz, the EISCAT VHP radar at Tromsø on 224 MHz and the MF radar at Tromsø on 2.78 MHz. During the common measuring period in July/August 1994, PMSE could be detected at 224 and 53.5 MHz, and there are strong hints that PMSE also occur at 2.78 MHz. Reliable correlations between hourly backscattered power values indicate that the PMSE structures have zonal extensions of more than 130 km and can be detected at very different scales (half wavelength) between 0.67 (EISCAT VHP radar) and 54 m (MF radar). Using the wind values derived by the MF radar it can be shown that the mesospheric wind field influences the structure of PMSE. The diurnal variation of PMSE is strongly connected with tidal-wind components, whereas spatial differences of PMSE can partly be explained by the mean wind field.