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Effects Of A Large Mesospheric Temperature Enhancement On The Hydroxyl Rotational Temperature As Observedfrom The Ground, S. M.L. Melo, R. P. Lowe, W. R. Pendleton Jr., Michael J. Taylor, B. Williams, C. Y. She

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The rotational temperature obtained from the rotational population distribution in the bands of the hydroxyl airglow has been shown to be a suitable proxy for the temperature at a height of 87 km [She and Lowe, 1998]. In this paper we examine in detail simultaneous observations on November 2–3, 1997, at Fort Collins, Colorado (41°N, 105°W), with both a sodium temperature lidar and the Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR) OH mesospheric temperature mapper during which significant differences between the hydroxyl and lidar temperatures occur. The large differences are associated with a major temperature enhancement in the region …