Wind Oscillations Between 30 and 60 km Over White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico

Abstract

Analyses of three series of meteorological rocket soundings have indicated diurnal and semidiurnal cycles in the winds between 30 and 60 km. Each series comprised a one day sample with the soundings over White Sands Missile Range taken on 7?8 February 1964 and 21?22 November 1964 being compared with the sounding taken over Eglin AFB, Florida on 9?10 May 1961. In general the winds turned clockwise for the periods of time examined, indicating a diurnal cycle in the wind field. In most cases the amplitude of the diurnal component was larger than the amplitude of the semidiurnal component, with the diurnal component undergoing systematic fluctuations with height. It was found that the diurnal and semidiurnal oscillations were not uniform, but occurred in layers of strong and weak oscillations with different phases in the different layers. The largest amplitudes occurred at 45 km where the heating of the ozone by solar ultraviolet is a maximum.