An Overview of the MaCWAVE Program to Study the Polar Mesosphere

Richard A. Goldberg

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center,
Code 612.3, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Tel: 301-286-8603     FAX: 301-286-1648     
E-mail: richard.a.goldberg@nasa.gov

ABSTRACT
 
MaCWAVE (Mountain And Convective Waves Ascending Vertically) was
a highly coordinated rocket, ground-based, and satellite program
designed to address gravity wave forcing of the mesosphere and
lower thermosphere (MLT).  The MaCWAVE program was conducted at
the Norwegian Andya Rocket Range (ARR, 69.3 N) in July 2002, and
continued at the Swedish Rocket Range (ESRANGE, 67.9) during
January 2003.  Correlative instrumentation included the ALOMAR
MF and MST radars and RMR and Na lidars, ESRANGE MST and meteor
radars and RMR lidar, radiosondes, and TIMED satellite
measurements of thermal, wind, and constituent structures.  The
data are being used to define the wave field structure, fluxes,
and turbulence generation leading to forcing of the large-scale
flow.  In summer, launch sequences coupled with ground-based
measurements at ARR addressed the forcing of the summer
mesopause environment by anticipated convective and shear
generated gravity waves.  These motions were measured with two
12-hr rocket sequences, each involving one Terrier-Orion payload
accompanied by a mix of MET rockets, all at ARR in Norway.  The
MET rockets were used to provide large-scale meteorology of the
mesosphere and stratosphere.  The Terrier-Orions were designed
to measure small-scale plasma fluctuations and/or turbulence
that might be induced by wave breaking in the mesosphere.  For
the summer series, three European MIDAS rockets were also
launched from ARR in coordination with the MaCWAVE payloads.
These were designed to measure plasma and neutral turbulence
within the MLT.  The summer program demonstrated that the mean
state of the mesopause was unusually warm, slowing the formation
of Polar Mesospheric Summer echoes (PMSE) and noctilucent clouds
(NLC).  The winter program was designed to study the upward
propagation and penetration of mountain waves from northern
Norway into the MLT at a site favored for such penetration.  As
the major response was expected to be downstream (east) of
Norway, these motions were measured with similar rocket
sequences to those used in the summer campaign, but this time at
ESRANGE.  However, a polar stratospheric warming just prior to
the rocket window induced small or reversed stratospheric zonal
winds, which prevented mountain wave penetration into the
mesosphere.  Instead, the observed wave structure in the
mesosphere originated from other sources.  For example, a
large-amplitude semidiurnal tide was observed in the mesosphere
on January 28, and appears to have contributed to significant
instability and small-scales structures near 85 km.  The
resulting energy deposition was found to be competitive with
summertime values.  A program description including current
results will be discussed.