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Measurements Of Atmospheric Stability In The Mesopause Region At Starfire Optical Range, Nm, Yucheng Zhao, Alan Z. Liu, Chester S. Gardner

Physical Sciences - Daytona Beach

The structure and seasonal variations of static (convective) and dynamic (shear) instabilities in the mesopause region (80–105 km) are examined using high-resolution wind and temperature data obtained with a Na lidar at the Starfire Optical Range, NM. The probabilities of static and dynamic instability are sensitive functions of N²/S², where N is the buoyancy frequency and S is the total vertical shear in the horizontal winds. The mesopause region is most stable in summer when the mesopause is low, N is large and S is small. Monthly mean N²/S² varies from …