Study of thermal structure differences from coordinated lidar observations over Mt. Abu (24.5° N, 72.7° E) and Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E)

Rayleigh lidars at Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E), a tropical site, and at Mt. Abu (24.5° N, 72.7° E), a subtropical site, in India were operated simultaneously during the months of March, April, and May 2004. Significant differences are found in the temperatures over both the locations. Higher temperature, ~10–20 K, in the altitude region of 40–65 km is found during March 2004 over Mt. Abu. The mean stratopause temperature during March 2004 is found ~284 K at an altitude of 48 km over Mt. Abu, which is 18 K higher than the observed stratopause temperature of ~266 K over Gadanki. During April and May 2004, the temperatures over Mt. Abu are higher in the entire altitude range of 30–70 km than over Gadanki. Lidar-observed temperatures, over both the locations, are compared with the temperatures observed by SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry; onboard TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics)) and HALOE (Halogen Occultation Experiment; onboard UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite)). It is found that the lidar-observed temperatures are in qualitative agreement with the temperature observed by satellites, though quantitatively there are significant differences. Wave types of fluctuations have been noted in the upper stratosphere and in the lower mesosphere over both the locations.