Airborne sodium lidar observations of horizontal and vertical wave number spectra of mesopause density and wind perturbations

The spectra are inferred from Na density profiles collected with an airborne lidar during two flights conducted in November 1986. The rms horizontal wind velocity inferred from the airborne Na lidar data increased with time and with longitude from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains. The inferred mean rms horizontal wind velocity was 32 m s^-1, and the mean horizontal velocity variance was about 1100 m²s^-2. Two quasi-monochromatic waves were observed. The longer wavelength wave had an intrinsic zonal wavelength of 772 km, intrinsic zonal phase velocity of 35 m s^-1 westward, and intrinsic period of 6.1 hours. This wave appears to be propagating almost due west. The shorter wavelength wave had an intrinsic zonal wavelength of 263 km, zonal phase velocity of 43 m s^-1 westward, and period of 1.7 hours. -from Authors