Response of middle atmosphere to short‐term solar ultraviolet variations: 1. Observations

A series of studies were performed concerning the response of low-latitude ozone and temperature in the stratosphere and mesosphere to short-term solar ultraviolet variability associated with the rotation of the sun. The studies are based on Nimbus 7 Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) stratospheric ozone and temperature data, Nimbus 7 solar backscattered ultraviolet (SBUV) stratospheric ozone and 205-nm solar ultraviolet data, Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) 1.27-μm mesospheric O3 data, SME 121.6-nm solar ultraviolet data, and Nimbus 7 Stratosphere and Mesosphere Sounder (SAMS) stratospheric and mesospheric temperature data. Using a longer temperature time series than has been used in the past for such studies, response times of temperature to solar UV variability in the stratosphere are found to be unexpectedly long (6 days at 2 mbar) and to become much shorter in the mesosphere (1 day at 0.01 mbar). Maximum sensitivity of temperature to solar variability (0.3 K/percent 205-nm radiation) is found to occur near 70 km. The coupling of the temperature and ozone response to solar UV variability has been isolated by studying ozone responses with and without temperature effects. Temperature effects tend to increase rather than decrease the amplitude and to shift the response time of stratospheric ozone to solar variability to an earlier time. Using a longer ozone time series than has been used in the past for such studies, the stratospheric ozone response with no correction for temperature effects is found to be approximately a 0.4% increase at 3 mbar for a 1.0% increase in 205-nm solar radiation. In the mesosphere a major systematic ozone decrease has been detected near 0.05 mbar (∼70 km), with increased solar Lyman α (121.6 nm) radiation (−0.14% ozone decrease for a 1% increase in solar Lyman α). This may be caused by solar Lyman α photodissociating H2O vapor producing HOx, with subsequent destruction of Ox. Higher in the mesosphere, where H2O mixing ratios should be much lower, ozone is found to increase with increasing solar UV. Observed responses of HNO3 and NO2 to solar UV variability are also briefly discussed. The theoretical response of middle atmosphere species and temperature to solar UV variability is discussed in detail in a companion paper (Brasseur et al., this issue).

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