Decadal-Scale Variability of The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere As Observed by SABER/TIMED From 2002 to 2014

Abstract:

In this paper, we will analyze over a decade of SABER/TIMED observations to quantify and interpret the decadal-scale variability of temperature, composition, and airglow intensity, including those associated with the 11-year solar cycle (SC) and long-term anthropogenic change (AC), of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT). The MLT is an interface and buffer between the Sun, interplanetary space, and the magnetosphere above and the atmosphere below and plays a uniquely important role in the solar-terrestrial system. The MLT sensitivities to solar cycle activity and long-term changes will be extracted using the multiple regression technique from12+ years of SABER/TIMED observations (2002 to 2014). Accuracies of the extracted SC and AC sensitivities will be assessed and discussed in terms of our analysis technique, the proxies we used, and the noise, drift and length of the data we used in the study.