The strong activity of noctilucent clouds at middle latitudes in 2020

Peter Dalin; Hidehiko Suzuki; Nikolay Pertsev; Vladimir Perminov; Nikita Shevchuk; Egor Tsimerinov; Mark Zalcik; Jay Brausch; Tom McEwan; Iain McEachran; Martin Connors; Ian Schofield; Audrius Dubietis; Kazimieras Černis; Alexander Zadorozhny; Andrey Solodovnik; Daria Lifatova; Jesper Grønne; Ole Hansen; Holger Andersen; Dmitry Melnikov; Alexander Manevich; Nikolay Gusev; Vitaly Romejko

doi:10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920

The strong activity of noctilucent clouds at middle latitudes in 2020

Peter Dalin, Hidehiko Suzuki, Nikolay Pertsev, Vladimir Perminov, Nikita Shevchuk, Egor Tsimerinov, Mark Zalcik, Jay Brausch, Tom McEwan, Iain McEachran, Martin Connors, Ian Schofield, Audrius Dubietis, Kazimieras Černis, Alexander Zadorozhny, Andrey Solodovnik, Daria Lifatova, Jesper Grønne, Ole Hansen, Holger AndersenDmitry Melnikov, Alexander Manevich, Nikolay Gusev, Vitaly Romejko

Centre for Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The 2020 summer season had more frequent than usual occurrences of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) in the Northern Hemisphere at middle latitudes (45–50°N), with the lowest latitude at which NLCs were seen being 34.1°N. In order to investigate a reason for this extraordinary NLC season, we have analyzed long-term Aura/MLS satellite data for all available summer periods from 2005 to 2021. Both Aura/MLS summer temperature and water vapor in the mesopause region, between about 79 and 89 km altitude, have been considered. There has been a decrease in the summer mesopause temperature between 2016 and 2020. At the same time, water vapor mixing ratio has significantly increased (by about 12–17%) in the zonal mean H₂O value in the 2020 summer compared to 2017. There exists a positive linear trend in the H₂O amount by about 5% between 2005 and 2021 at middle latitudes 45–50°N at 0.0046 hPa. A combination of lower mesopause temperature and water vapor mixing ratio maximum at middle latitudes is the main reason for frequent and widespread occurrences of NLCs seen around the globe at middle latitudes in the summer of 2020. The 24th solar cycle minimum can explain neither the H₂O maximum nor NLC maximum in 2020.

Original language	English
Article number	100920
Journal	Polar Science
Volume	35
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920
Publication status	Published - Mar. 2023

Keywords

Noctilucent clouds
Solar activity
Summer mesopause

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10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920

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Dalin, P., Suzuki, H., Pertsev, N., Perminov, V., Shevchuk, N., Tsimerinov, E., Zalcik, M., Brausch, J., McEwan, T., McEachran, I., Connors, M., Schofield, I., Dubietis, A., Černis, K., Zadorozhny, A., Solodovnik, A., Lifatova, D., Grønne, J., Hansen, O., ... Romejko, V. (2023). The strong activity of noctilucent clouds at middle latitudes in 2020. Polar Science, 35, Article 100920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920

@article{3531a125928d402aa6c9d918b40ad902,

title = "The strong activity of noctilucent clouds at middle latitudes in 2020",

abstract = "The 2020 summer season had more frequent than usual occurrences of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) in the Northern Hemisphere at middle latitudes (45–50°N), with the lowest latitude at which NLCs were seen being 34.1°N. In order to investigate a reason for this extraordinary NLC season, we have analyzed long-term Aura/MLS satellite data for all available summer periods from 2005 to 2021. Both Aura/MLS summer temperature and water vapor in the mesopause region, between about 79 and 89 km altitude, have been considered. There has been a decrease in the summer mesopause temperature between 2016 and 2020. At the same time, water vapor mixing ratio has significantly increased (by about 12–17%) in the zonal mean H2O value in the 2020 summer compared to 2017. There exists a positive linear trend in the H2O amount by about 5% between 2005 and 2021 at middle latitudes 45–50°N at 0.0046 hPa. A combination of lower mesopause temperature and water vapor mixing ratio maximum at middle latitudes is the main reason for frequent and widespread occurrences of NLCs seen around the globe at middle latitudes in the summer of 2020. The 24th solar cycle minimum can explain neither the H2O maximum nor NLC maximum in 2020.",

keywords = "Noctilucent clouds, Solar activity, Summer mesopause",

author = "Peter Dalin and Hidehiko Suzuki and Nikolay Pertsev and Vladimir Perminov and Nikita Shevchuk and Egor Tsimerinov and Mark Zalcik and Jay Brausch and Tom McEwan and Iain McEachran and Martin Connors and Ian Schofield and Audrius Dubietis and Kazimieras {\v C}ernis and Alexander Zadorozhny and Andrey Solodovnik and Daria Lifatova and Jesper Gr{\o}nne and Ole Hansen and Holger Andersen and Dmitry Melnikov and Alexander Manevich and Nikolay Gusev and Vitaly Romejko",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",

year = "2023",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920",

language = "English",

volume = "35",

}

Dalin, P, Suzuki, H, Pertsev, N, Perminov, V, Shevchuk, N, Tsimerinov, E, Zalcik, M, Brausch, J, McEwan, T, McEachran, I, Connors, M, Schofield, I, Dubietis, A, Černis, K, Zadorozhny, A, Solodovnik, A, Lifatova, D, Grønne, J, Hansen, O, Andersen, H, Melnikov, D, Manevich, A, Gusev, N & Romejko, V 2023, 'The strong activity of noctilucent clouds at middle latitudes in 2020', Polar Science, vol. 35, 100920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920

TY - JOUR

T1 - The strong activity of noctilucent clouds at middle latitudes in 2020

AU - Dalin, Peter

AU - Suzuki, Hidehiko

AU - Pertsev, Nikolay

AU - Perminov, Vladimir

AU - Shevchuk, Nikita

AU - Tsimerinov, Egor

AU - Zalcik, Mark

AU - Brausch, Jay

AU - McEwan, Tom

AU - McEachran, Iain

AU - Connors, Martin

AU - Schofield, Ian

AU - Dubietis, Audrius

AU - Černis, Kazimieras

AU - Zadorozhny, Alexander

AU - Solodovnik, Andrey

AU - Lifatova, Daria

AU - Grønne, Jesper

AU - Hansen, Ole

AU - Andersen, Holger

AU - Melnikov, Dmitry

AU - Manevich, Alexander

AU - Gusev, Nikolay

AU - Romejko, Vitaly

PY - 2023/3

Y1 - 2023/3

N2 - The 2020 summer season had more frequent than usual occurrences of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) in the Northern Hemisphere at middle latitudes (45–50°N), with the lowest latitude at which NLCs were seen being 34.1°N. In order to investigate a reason for this extraordinary NLC season, we have analyzed long-term Aura/MLS satellite data for all available summer periods from 2005 to 2021. Both Aura/MLS summer temperature and water vapor in the mesopause region, between about 79 and 89 km altitude, have been considered. There has been a decrease in the summer mesopause temperature between 2016 and 2020. At the same time, water vapor mixing ratio has significantly increased (by about 12–17%) in the zonal mean H2O value in the 2020 summer compared to 2017. There exists a positive linear trend in the H2O amount by about 5% between 2005 and 2021 at middle latitudes 45–50°N at 0.0046 hPa. A combination of lower mesopause temperature and water vapor mixing ratio maximum at middle latitudes is the main reason for frequent and widespread occurrences of NLCs seen around the globe at middle latitudes in the summer of 2020. The 24th solar cycle minimum can explain neither the H2O maximum nor NLC maximum in 2020.

AB - The 2020 summer season had more frequent than usual occurrences of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) in the Northern Hemisphere at middle latitudes (45–50°N), with the lowest latitude at which NLCs were seen being 34.1°N. In order to investigate a reason for this extraordinary NLC season, we have analyzed long-term Aura/MLS satellite data for all available summer periods from 2005 to 2021. Both Aura/MLS summer temperature and water vapor in the mesopause region, between about 79 and 89 km altitude, have been considered. There has been a decrease in the summer mesopause temperature between 2016 and 2020. At the same time, water vapor mixing ratio has significantly increased (by about 12–17%) in the zonal mean H2O value in the 2020 summer compared to 2017. There exists a positive linear trend in the H2O amount by about 5% between 2005 and 2021 at middle latitudes 45–50°N at 0.0046 hPa. A combination of lower mesopause temperature and water vapor mixing ratio maximum at middle latitudes is the main reason for frequent and widespread occurrences of NLCs seen around the globe at middle latitudes in the summer of 2020. The 24th solar cycle minimum can explain neither the H2O maximum nor NLC maximum in 2020.

KW - Noctilucent clouds

KW - Solar activity

KW - Summer mesopause

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143881654&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920

DO - 10.1016/j.polar.2022.100920

M3 - Journal Article

AN - SCOPUS:85143881654

SN - 1873-9652

VL - 35

JO - Polar Science

JF - Polar Science

M1 - 100920

ER -

The strong activity of noctilucent clouds at middle latitudes in 2020

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Keywords

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