Migrating Semidiurnal Tide During the September Equinox Transition in the Northern Hemisphere. Issue 3 (29th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pedatella, N. M.; Liu, H.‐L.; Conte, J. F.; Chau, J. L.; Hall, C.; Jacobi, C.; Mitchell, N.; Tsutsumi, M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 126:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-01-29
• Subjects: mesosphere -- semidiurnal tide -- whole atmosphere model; Atmospheric physics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1029/2020JD033822
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-897X

Abstract

Abstract: Specified Dynamics Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere‐ionosphere eXtension simulations are used to investigate the solar migrating semidiurnal tide (SW2) around September equinox at middle to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. A pronounced minimum in SW2 occurs around September equinox, and is characterized by a ∼50% reduction in tidal amplitudes for 20–30 days. Analysis of the simulation results indicates that the SW2 minimum occurs due to the seasonal transition of the zonal mean zonal winds, which alter the generation and propagation of different symmetric and antisymmetric modes of SW2. In particular, the antisymmetric modes notably decrease due to the more hemispherically symmetric zonal winds around equinox. It is further demonstrated that interannual variability in the timing of the SW2 minimum is related to the timing of the seasonal transition of the zonal mean zonal winds in the middle atmosphere. This leads to an earlier occurrence of the SW2 minimum during years when the seasonal transition occurs earlier, such as the recent 2019 September equinox which saw an earlier transition of the Southern Hemisphere zonal mean zonal winds following the occurrence of a sudden stratosphere warming. The connection between the timing of the SW2 minimum in the Northern Hemisphere and the timing of the seasonal transition in the middle atmosphere winds is confirmed by seasonal variability of 12‐h tides deduced from specular meteor radar observations at middle to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Key Points: SW2 minimum occurs at middle‐high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere mesosphere‐lower thermosphere (80–110 km) around September equinox The minimum is related to seasonal transition of the mean zonal winds in the middle atmosphere and their influence on different Hough modes Interannual variability in the timing of the SW2 minimum is related to timing of the seasonal transition in middle atmosphere zonal winds