MF radar observations of mesospheric backscatter were carried out during summer - winter 1999 in Tumanny (69.0 degree(s)N, 35.7 degree(s)E) using PGI radar of the vertical sounding. The measurements indicated the presence of strong radar returns from altitudes between about 74 and 99 km. Usually, the reflection region looks like as 2 or 3 distinct layers, which are located at heights 74 - 82, 82 - 89 and 89 - 99 km. The features of MF waves backscattered from a height range of 82 - 89 km are very similar to VHF radar measurements of Polar Mesospheric Summer Echoes (PMSE). A distinctive feature of these measurements is a registration of sharp gradients of the electron density at the heights where the backscattered waves amplitudes were more intensive. An analysis of the digital ionograms obtained in Loparskaya (68.6 degree(s)N, 33.3 degree(s)E) have shown that the intensive sporadic E-layers are observed during the strong MF radar returns from the mesopause region.

Date Published: 28 February 2002
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 4678, Eighth International Symposium on Atmospheric and Ocean Optics: Atmospheric Physics, (28 February 2002); doi: 10.1117/12.458494

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4678:
Eighth International Symposium on Atmospheric and Ocean Optics: Atmospheric Physics
Gelii A. Zherebtsov; Gennadii G. Matvienko; Viktor A. Banakh; Vladimir V. Koshelev, Editor(s)