Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-11-08T11:09:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ROBSON BATISTA DE SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGFísica) 2012.pdf: 22073508 bytes, checksum: 07991b4cdb0e710b093893fcc69708ec (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-08T11:09:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ROBSON BATISTA DE SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGFísica) 2012.pdf: 22073508 bytes, checksum: 07991b4cdb0e710b093893fcc69708ec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-16 / Medidas de ventos e de temperatura obtidas por radar meteórico (SKiYMET) em São João do Cariri-PB (7, 4◦S) e em Cachoeira Paulista-SP (22, 7◦S) foram utilizadas para investigar a oscilação de 6, 5 dias na região mesosférica. Os resultados das análises dos dados de vento e de temperatura revelaram a presença da onda de 6, 5 dias em ambas as localidades, em que as atividades máximas ocorreram durante os meses de primavera austral. Os valores das amplitudes e dos comprimentos de onda vertical, determinados a partir das medidas de ventos, para São João do Cariri, foram superiores aos de Cachoeira Paulista. Em ambas as localidades foram verificadas uma modulação da onda de 6, 5 dias pela Oscilação Semi-Anual (SAO) na temperatura mesosférica. De um modo geral, tanto em São João do Cariri, quanto em Cachoeira Paulista, as atividades máximas da onda de 6, 5 dias foram registradas durante a fase para oeste da Oscilação Quase-Bienal (QBO). Entretanto, o conjunto de dados utilizados neste trabalho não são suficientes para estabelecer uma relação conclusiva dos efeitos da QBO na atividade da onda de 6, 5 dias. Em geral, os parâmetros físicos da onda de 6, 5 dias obtidos neste trabalho são compatíveis com os reportados em outras localidades. / Measurements of wind and temperature obtained from SKiYMET meteor radars at São João do Cariri-PB (7.4◦S) and Cachoeira Paulista (22.7◦S) were used to investigate the 6.5-day oscillations in the mesospheric region. The wind and temperature data analysis results revealed the presence of the 6.5-day waves at both sites, in which the maximum activities have occurred during the austral spring months. The amplitudes and vertical wavelength values, estimated from the wind vertical structure phase delay, for São João do Cariri were longer than for Cachoeira Paulista. For the first time, has been observed for both sites that the 6.5-day wave activities display a semi-annual modulation (SAO) in the meteor temperature. In general, the maximum activities of the 6.5-day waves took place during westward QBO wind phase. However, the data series used in this study are not enough to establish a reliable QBO modulation of the 6.5-day wave. In general, the 6.5-day wave parameters obtained in this work are consistent with those reported for other sites.

The equatorial Quasi Biennial Oscillation (QBO) is known to be an important source of inter-annual variability at mid and high latitudes in both hemispheres. Coupling between QBO and the polar vortex has been extensively studied over the past few decades, however, less is known about QBO influences in the mid-latitude mesosphere. One reason for this is the relative lack of instrumentation available to study mesospheric dynamics at mid-latitudes. In this study, we have used the mid-latitude SuperDARN HF radar at Saskatoon (52.16 N, -106.53 E) to study inter-annual variation in mesospheric winds. The specific aim was to determine whether or not a Quasi Biennial signature could be identified in the Saskatoon mesosphere, and if so, to understand its relationship with the equatorial stratospheric QBO. To achieve this goal, a technique has been developed which extracts meteor echoes from SuperDARN near-range gates and then applies least-squares fitting across all radar beam directions to calculate hourly averages of the zonal and meridional components of the mesospheric neutral wind. Subsequent analysis of 13 years (2002-2014) of zonal wind data produced using this technique indicates that there is indeed a significant QBO signature present in Saskatoon mesospheric winds during late winter (Jan-Feb). This mesospheric QBO signature is in opposite phase with the equatorial stratospheric QBO, such that when QBO (at 50 hPa) is in its easterly (westerly) phase, the late winter winds in Saskatoon mesosphere become more (less) westerly. To further examine the source of the signature, we also analyzed winds in the Saskatoon stratosphere between 5 hPa and 70 hPa using the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis data set, and found that the late winter stratospheric winds become less (more) westerly when QBO is easterly (westerly). This QBO signature in the mid-latitude stratospheric winds is essentially the same as that observed for the polar vortex in previous studies but it is opposite in phase to the mid-latitude mesospheric QBO. We therefore conclude that filtering of gravity waves through QBO-modulated stratospheric winds plays a major role in generating the mesospheric QBO signature we have identified in the Saskatoon HF radar data. When the Saskatoon stratospheric winds are anomalously westward during easterly QBO, the gravity waves having westward momentum might be filtered out, depositing a net eastward momentum in the mesosphere as they propagate upwards. This would result in increased westerly mesospheric winds at Saskatoon. The opposite would happen when the equatorial QBO is westerly. / Master of Science