Latitudinal diurnal variation of some atmospheric parameters determined by a simultaneous analysis of incoherent‐scatter and satellite‐drag data

Oxygen concentrations obtained from satellite-drag and incoherent-scatter observations over the period of February 6–10, 1969, are presented for comparison. A good agreement is shown to exist between both types of data, which are also compatible with the Jacchia (1970) model. This model is found to be in closer agreement with the incoherent-scatter data than the Jacchia (1965) model, for the oxygen concentrations as well as for the exospheric temperatures. However, indications of a somewhat different diurnal variation of the observed densities with respect to the model are present. These features can be interpreted as being due to combined changes of the exospheric temperature, the shape of the temperature profile, and the boundary conditions at low altitude. In particular, they suggest that the oxygen concentration in the lower thermosphere undergoes both diurnal and semidiurnal oscillations.

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