Applying Artificial Neural Networks to Modeling the Middle Atmosphere

An artificial neural network （ANN） is used to model the middle atmosphere using a large number of TIMED/SABER limb sounding temperature profiles. A three-layer feed-forward network is chosen based on the back-propagation （BP） algorithm. Latitude, longitude, and height are chosen as the input vectors of the network while temperature is the output vector. The temperature observations during the period from 13 January through 16 March 2007, which are in the same satellite yaw, are taken as samples to train an ANN. Results suggest that the network has high quality for modeling spatial variations of temperature. Quantitative comparisons between the ANN outputs and those from the popular empirical NRLMSISE-00 model illustrate their generally consistent features and some specific differences. The NRLMSISE-00 model＇s zonal mean temperatures are too high by ～6 K-10 K near the stratopause, and the amplitude and phase of the planetary wave number 1 activity are different in some respects from the ANN simulations above 45-50 km, suggesting improvement is needed in the NRLMSISE-00 model for more accurate simulation near and above the stratopause.

Temperatures and Winds over Tropical Middle Atmosphere during Two Contrasting Summer Monsoons, 1975 and 1979

Using the monthly geopotential heights and winds for 700 and 200 hPa for India during July and August, and the weekly M-100 Soviet rocketsonde temperature and wind data for Thumba (8.5 ° N, 76.9 ° E) during the last week of June and the first week of September for the two contrasting summer monsoon years 1975 (a very strong monsoon year) and 1979 (a very weak monsoon year), a study has been made to examine the mean circulation features of the troposphere over India, and the structures of the temperatures and the winds of the middle atmosphere over Thumba. The study suggested that the axis of the monsoon trough (AMT) at 700 hPa shifted southward in 1975 and northward towards the foothills of the Himalayas in 1979, from its normal position. Superimposed on the low-pressure area (AMT) at 700 hPa, a well-defined divergence was noticed at 200 hPa over the northern India in 1975.The mean temperatures at 25,50 and 60 km (middle atmosphere) over Thumba were cooler in 1975 than in 1979. While a cooling trend in 1975 and warming trend in 1979 were observed at 25 and 50 km, a reversed picture was noticed at 60 km. There was a weak easterly / westerly (weak westerly phase) zonal wind in 1975 and a strong easterly zonal wind in 1979. A phase reversal of the zonal wind was observed at 50 km. A tentative physical mechanism was offered, in terms of upward propagation of the two equatorially trapped planetary waves i.e. the Kelvin and the mixed Rossby-gravity waves, to explain the occurrence of the two spells of strong warmings in the mesosphere in 1975.

Advances in Researches on the Middle and Upper Atmosphere in 2010—2012

This article summarizes the researches on the middle and upper atmosphere by Chinese scientists in 2010-2012.The focuses are placed on the advances in construction of ground-based remote sensing facilities,the mean state and long-term changes in the middle atmosphere circulation, the prevailing dynamical processes,and the coupling of the middle atmospheric layers.

DETERMINATION OF GASEOUS COMPOSITION IN THE MIDDLE ATMOSPHERE BY USING HIGH SPECTRAL RESOLUTION METHODS

One of the crucial problems in study on the middle atmosphere is to determine the concentration and distribution of some trace gases.In this aspect,sounding methods with high spectral resolution have been developed by many scientists.Some major trace gases and their spectral characteristics,space-borne limb method for determination of trace gases in the middle atmosphere are introduced,requirements for used methods and instruments,development and challenge encountered by sounding of trace gases with high spectral resolution are discussed in this paper.

Advances in Studies of the Middle and Upper Atmosphere and Their Coupling with the Lower Atmosphere

Recent advances in studies of the middle and upper atmosphere and their coupling with the lower atmosphere in China are briefly reviewed. This review emphasizes four aspects: (1) Development of instrumentation for middle and upper atmosphere observation; (2) Analyses and observation of middle and upper atmosphere; (3) Theoretical and modeling studies of planetary wave and gravity wave activities in the middle atmosphere and their relation to lower atmospheric processes; (4) Study on the coupling between the stratosphere and the troposphere.

Advances in the Studies of the Middle and Upper Atmosphere in 2004-2006

This paper summarizes the research results obtained by Chinese scientists and/or through international collaborations during 2004 to 2006.Within the context of COSPAR,the progresses in the studies of the middle and upper atmosphere in China in the past two years are introduced with focusing the developments in facilities and instruments,and the advancements in scientific issues,e.g.,dynamics related processes,atmospheric constituents,and the coupling with the lower atmosphere.

EFFECTS OF SOLAR FLARE ON THE MIDDLE ATMOSPHERE

The SME satellite data of solar UV radiation and mesospheric ozone during solar flare in 1982 are analyzed.The results show that the Ha line index used in the solar flare classification is not a proper parameter for studying the effects of solar activity on the photochemical process in the middle atmosphere.

Advances in the Researches of the Middle and Upper Atmosphere in China

In this report we summarize the research results by Chinese scientists in 2018–2020.The focuses are placed on the researches of the middle and upper atmosphere,specifically the researches on atmospheric structure and composition,climate and chemistry-climate coupling and climate modelling,dynamics in particular those inducing the coupling of the atmospheric layers.

Advances in the Researches of the Middle and Upper Atmosphere in China in 2020-2022

This report reviews the researches for the middle and upper atmosphere in 2020-2022 by Chinese scientists.The report consists of five parts introducing primarily the results from the aspects of the development of infrastructure,the structure and composition,the climate and modeling,the dynamics for the middle and upper atmosphere,and Coupling between Stratosphere and Troposphere,respectively.

Atmosphere Transmission Performance for 0.4 μm～0.8 μm Ray Radiation in Middle Latitude of China

This paper researched on the atmospheric transmission performance of 0.4 μm～0.8 μm ray radiation based on the characteristic of the middle latitude atmosphere in China.By analysis of the characteristic of the actual atmosphere,the absorption of molecular and the scattering of the steam and ozone,as well as the aerosol scattering(big granule scattering) are play a leading role to the 0.4 μm～0.8 μm ray radiation.Then a better atmospheric transmission formula in horizontal path has been deducted.The result of computer simulation indicates that this equation can best calculate the transmission performance of 0.4 μm～0.8 μm visible radiation in the middle latitude area of China.This computing result was applied to the nuclear explosion parameter detection system based on 0.4 μm～0.8 μm visible radiation.Through nuclear explosion simulator to produce ray radiation,the tested result indicates that this method has the better measuring precision than the traditional method with the software of LOWTRAN.The calculation result of this formula not only can apply directly to each kind of optoelectronics detecting system,but also to the optical wireless communication system based on the 0.4 μm～0.8 μm ray radiation.

Construction and Research Progress of the Chinese Meridian Project in 2022–2023

The Chinese Meridian Project(CMP)is a major national science and technology infrastructure constructed in two steps.The first phase of the CMP has been operating for more than a solar cycle.From 2022 to 2023,utilizing the monitoring data collected by the CMP,scientists made major breakthroughs in fields of ionosphere,middle and upper atmosphere,and coupling between layers.The construction of the second phase of the CMP is nearly finished,and the project is expected to operate as a whole in 2025 after national acceptance of the second phase.The whole project was built in an architecture of so-called“One Chain,Three Networks and Four Focuses”.It is promising to make a three-dimensional observation of the whole solar-terrestrial space.The science community is looking forward to the great contribution of the CMP to space weather and space physics research.

A high-top version of IAP-AGCM:Preliminary assessment and sensitivity IAP-AGCM

Extending the atmospheric model top to high altitude is important for simulation of upper atmospheric phenomena,such as the stratospheric quasi-biennial oscillation.The high-top version of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics Atmospheric General Circulation Model with 91 vertical layers(IAP-AGCML91)extends to the mesopause at about 0.01 hPa(~80 km).The high-top model with a fully resolved stratosphere is found to simulate a warmer stratosphere than the low-top version,except near the South Pole,thus reducing its overall cold bias in the stratosphere,and significantly in the upper stratosphere.This sensitivity is shown to be consistent with two separate mechanisms:larger shortwave heating and larger poleward stratospheric meridional eddy heat flux in the hightop model than in the low-top model.Results indicate a significant influence of vertical resolution and model top on climate simulations in IAP-AGCM.

Northern Hemisphere Stratospheric Polar Vortex Extremes in February under the Control of Downward Wave Flux in the Lower Stratosphere

Using ECWMF ERA-40 and Interim reanalysis data, the planetary wave fluxes associated with the February extreme stratospheric polar vortex were studied. Using the three-dimensional Eliassen-Palm (EP) flux as a measure of the wave activity propagation, the authors show that the unusual warm years in the Arctic feature an anomalous weak stratosphere-troposphere coupling and weak downward wave flux at the lower stratosphere, especially over the North America and North Atlantic (NANA) region. The extremely cold years are characterized by strong stratosphere-troposphere coupling and strong downward wave flux in this region. The refractive index is used to examine the conception of planetary wave reflection, which shows a large refractive index (low reflection) for the extremely warm years and a small refractive index (high reflection) for the extremely cold years. This study reveals the importance of the downward planetary wave propagation from the stratosphere to the troposphere for explaining the unusual state of the stratospheric polar vortex in February.

The Nippon/Norway Svalbard Meteor Radar: First results of small-scale structure observations

The Nippon/Norway Svalbard Meteor Radar(NSMR), has been in operation since March 2001. While primarily thought of as an instrument for examining mean wind, tidal and gravity wave neutral atmosphere dynamics in the upper mesosphere region, it is also possible to investigate spatial and temporal structure of temperature and windshear. Here, the radar itself is described followed by a presentation of these derived parameters.

Research Advances of the Chinese Meridian Project in 2020-2021

The Chinese Meridian Project(CMP)is a major national science and technology infrastructure invested and constructed by the Chinese government.The project builds space environment observation stations,focusing on the monitoring of the space environment over China,so as to provide a monitoring basis for clarifying the regional characteristics of the space environment over China and its relationship with global change,and making important innovative scientific achievements.The first phase of the CMP passed the national acceptance in 2012.It has been running for nearly ten years and has accumulated more than 8 TB monitoring data.These data are all available to all data users through the data center of the project.From 2020 to 2021,users of CMP data have completed a series of original works,which have solved current scientific problems in the field of space physics research.On the other hand,they also make us look forward to the completion of the second phase of CMP and its application benefits in national major strategic needs and cutting-edge scientific research.

A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF GRAVITY WAVE BREAKING ON MIDDLE ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION

McFarline's gravity drag theory is simply reviewed,and it is indicated that the fault of McFarline's theory is that the effect of dissipation induced by gravity wave breaking on mean flow is not fully considered.Based on McFarline's theory,in this paper,the effect mentioned above is well considered.A new dissipation coefficient D is calculated,and a relatively complete parameterized scheme of the influence of gravity wave breaking on meanflow is put forward here. This is a better parameterized scheme than McFarline's if it is used in GCM.

Climatology of global gravity wave activity and dissipation revealed by SABER/TIMED temperature observations

Gravity wave activity and dissipation in the height range from the low stratosphere to the low thermosphere(25–115 km)covering latitudes between 50°S and 50°N are statistically studied by using 9-year(January 22,2002–December 31,2010)SABER/TIMED temperature data.We propose a method to extract realistic gravity wave fluctuations from the temperature profiles and treat square temperature fluctuations as GW activity.Overall,the gravity wave activity generally increases with height.Near the equator(0°–10°),the gravity wave activity shows a quasi-biennial variation in the stratosphere(below 40 km)while from 20°to 30°,it exhibits an annual variation below 40 km;in low latitudes(0°–30°)between the upper stratosphere and the low thermosphere(40–115 km),the gravity wave activity shows a semi-annual variation.In middle latitudes(40°–50°),the gravity wave activity has a clear annual variation below 85 km.In addition,we observe a four-monthly variation with peaks occurring usually in April,August,December in the northern hemisphere and in February,June,October in the southern hemisphere,respectively,above 85 km in middle latitudes,which has been seldom reported in gravity wave activity.In order to study the dissipation of gravity wave propagation,we calculate the gravity wave dissipation ratio,which is defined as the ratio of the gravity wave growth scale height to the atmosphere density scale height.The height variation of the dissipation ratio indicates that strong gravity wave dissipation mainly concentrates in the three height regions:the stratosphere(30–60 km),the mesopause(around 85 km)and the low thermosphere(above 100 km).Besides,gravity wave energy enhancement can be also observed in the background atmosphere.