Retrieval of global mesospheric sodium densities from the Odin satellite

Satellite observations of the Na D dayglow at 589 nm provide a global database for the climatology of the mesospheric sodium layer. More than five years of Na D limb observations are available from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System onboard the Odin satellite. We describe a robust r...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2007-02, Vol.34 (4), p.L04813-n/a
Main Authors: Gumbel, J., Fan, Z. Y., Waldemarsson, T., Stegman, J., Witt, G., Llewellyn, E. J., She, C.-Y., Plane, J. M. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
40-degrees-n
clouds
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Geovetenskap
instrument
mesopause
mesosphere
na layer
NATURAL SCIENCES
NATURVETENSKAP
orbiting dmsp satellite
satellite retrievals
sodium
summer
temperature
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Satellite observations of the Na D dayglow at 589 nm provide a global database for the climatology of the mesospheric sodium layer. More than five years of Na D limb observations are available from the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imager System onboard the Odin satellite. We describe a robust retrieval method that provides individual sodium density profiles with a typical accuracy of 20% and altitude resolution of 2 km. Retrieved column abundances and density profiles are validated against sodium resonance lidar measurements at mid‐latitudes. Examples of the seasonal and latitudinal variation of the sodium layer illustrate Odin's potential for climatological studies of mesospheric metals.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2006GL028687