The Impact of the Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation on the Mesosphere and Ionosphere. Issue 5 (28th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sun, Ruidi; Gu, Sheng‐Yang; Dou, Xiankang; Zhang, Ruilong; Kuai, Jiawei; Tsuda, Toshitaka
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 127:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-04-28
• Subjects: QBO -- TEC -- EEJ -- tidal wave; Magnetospheric physics -- Periodicals; Space environment -- Periodicals; Cosmic physics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Atmospheres -- Periodicals; Heliosphere (Astrophysics) -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 523.01
• DOI: 10.1029/2021JA029920
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-9380

Abstract

Abstract: We studied the responses of the mesosphere and ionosphere to the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) in the stratosphere using meteor radar zonal wind observations over monitoring station Kototabang (KB, 0.2°S, 100.3°E), global zonal wind data from the thermosphere and ionosphere extension of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM‐X), equatorial electrojet (EEJ) data over the monitoring station Jicamarca (12°S, 77°W) and global total electron content (TEC) maps. The Fourier fitting method was applied to obtain the monthly mean amplitudes of zonal wind, TEC and EEJ. The least squares fitting method was utilized to perform a spectral analysis. Our data indicate that the QBOs of the stratosphere and mesosphere are present in the zonal winds between 20 and 40 km and 82 and 96 km at KB. The QBO is also present in the global TEC at 40°S to 40°N latitude and is characterized by the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). We propose that the QBOs in the mesosphere are linked to the QBOs in the ionosphere through the modulation of the E region dynamo by neutral winds and the equatorial ionospheric fountain effect. This model is verified by the QBO signals in the EEJ and diurnal tides in the E region of the ionosphere. The absence of QBO signals in the zonal wind at 250 km confirms that QBO signals in the TEC are not modulated by the zonal wind in the F region ionosphere, which further substantiates the model. Key Points: Quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) signals were found in the mesospheric horizontal wind, total electron content (TEC) and equatorial electrojet (EEJ) QBO signals were observed in the TEC with both longitudinal and local time variations The EEJ spectrum also exhibited QBO signals, indicating the modulation of the E‐region wind dynamo