The Earth S Middle Atmosphere

The Earth’s Middle Atmosphere covers the Proceedings of Symposium C2 and the Topical Meetings of the COSPAR Interdisciplinary Scientific Commissions A and C (Meetings A7 and C4) of the COSPAR 29th Plenary Meeting held in Washington, DC, USA, on August 28-September 5, 1992. The first part covers the impact of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) observations on middle atmosphere science. This topic includes the early results of the validation and the application of the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) data, which is an instrumental approach to the measurement of thermal infrared spectral emission from the atmospheric limb. An overview of the Halogen Occultation Experiment and the use of the UARS data in the NOAA stratospheric monitoring are also discussed in this part. It also includes the observed solar UV irradiance variations of importance to middle atmosphere energetic and photochemistry, as well as the stratospheric and mesospheric observations with the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder. The second part of the book tackles the energetics and chemistry of the middle atmosphere as well as the dynamics and coupling of the middle atmosphere to regions above and below. Results on the validation of the UARS wind and temperature measurements at and above the mesopause comprise the third part of this book. This book will be a great value to geophysicists and atmospheric scientists.

PAGEOPH, stratosphere, these differences provide us with new evidence, interpretation of which can materially help to advance our understanding of stratospheric dynamics in general. It is now weil established that smaller-scale motions-in particular gravity waves and turbulence-are of fundamental importance in the general circulation of the mesosphere; they seem to be similarly, if less spectacularly, significant in the troposphere, and probably also in the stratosphere. Our understanding of these motions, their effects on the mean circulation and their mutual interactions is progressing rapidly, as is weil illustrated by the papers in this issue; there are reports of observational studies, especially with new instruments such as the Japanese MV radar, reviews of the state of theory, a laboratory study and an analysis of gravity waves and their effects in the high resolution "SKYHI" general circulation model. There are good reasons to suspect that gravity waves may be of crucial significance in making the stratospheric circulation the way it is (modeling experience being one suggestive piece of evidence for this). Direct observational proof has thus far been prevented by the difficulty of making observations of such scales of motion in this region; in one study reported here, falling sphere observations are used to obtain information on the structure and intensity of waves in the upper stratosphere.

Earth's atmosphere plays a very important role in sustaining life on the planet. The atmosphere is made of a very thin layer of air, which covers every inch of Earth's surface up to the edge of space. The atmosphere is comprised of different chemicals and compounds at any given location, which also means that the atmosphere behaves in different ways at any given location. This book explores the atmosphere's composition, its behavior, and how it affects life on Earth.

The reader may be surprised to learn that the word "aeronomy" is not found in many of the standard dictionaries of the English language (for exam ple. Webster's International dictionary). Yet the term would appear to exist, as evidenced by the affiliations of the two authors of this volume (Institut d'Aeronomie, Brussels, Belgium; Aeronomy Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA). Perhaps part of this obscu rity arises because aeronomy is a relatively new and evolving field of endeavor, with a history dating back no farther than about 1940. The Chambers dic tionary of science and technology provides the following definition: "aeronomy (Meteor. ). The branch of science dealing with the atmosphere of the Earth and the other planets with reference to their chemical com position, physical properties, relative motion,

The reader may be surprised to learn that the word "aeronomy" is not found in many of the standard dictionaries of the English language (for exam ple, Webster's International dictionary). Yet the term would appear to exist, as evidenced by the affiliations of the two authors of this volume (Institut d' Aeronomie Spatiale, Brussels, Belgium; Aeronomy Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA). Perhaps part of this obscurity arises because aeronomy is a relatively new and evolving field of endeavor, with a history dating back no farther than about 1940. The Chambers dictionary of science and technology provides the following defini tion: "aeronomy (Meteor. ). The branch of science dealing with the atmo sphere of the Earth and the other planets with reference to their chemi cal composition, physical properties, relative motion, and reactions to radiation from outer space" This seems to us an appropriate description, and it is reflected throughout the content of this volume. The study of the aeronomy of the middle atmosphere experienced rapid growth and development during the 1970's and 1980's, particularly due to con cern over the possibility of anthropogenic perturbations to the state of the middle atmosphere and its protective ozone layer. As a result, much has been learned regarding both the natural behavior of the atmosphere and the impact of man's activities upon it. In this book we shall attempt to describe the current state of the art as we see it.

Technology has propelled the atmospheric sciences from a fledgling discipline to a global enterprise. Findings in this field shape a broad spectrum of decisionsâ€"what to wear outdoors, whether aircraft should fly, how to deal with the issue of climate change, and more. This book presents a comprehensive assessment of the atmospheric sciences and offers a vision for the future and a range of recommendations for federal authorities, the scientific community, and education administrators. How does atmospheric science contribute to national well-being? In the context of this question, the panel identifies imperatives in scientific observation, recommends directions for modeling and forecasting research, and examines management issues, including the growing problem of weather data availability. Five subdisciplinesâ€"physics, chemistry, dynamics and weather forecasting, upper atmosphere and near-earth space physics, climate and climate changeâ€"and their status as the science enters the twenty-first century are examined in detail, including recommendations for research. This readable book will be of interest to public-sector policy framers and private-sector decisionmakers as well as researchers, educators, and students in the atmospheric sciences.

Especially due to the increasing environmental problems there is a need to collect as many data as possible in the upper atmosphere. This book serves as a general multidisciplinary guide and introduction for a more effective use of the large amount of now available data from the Earth's atmosphere. It also shows the problems of the use of large amounts of time series data - for basic science as well as for environmental monitoring - and the related information systems. The book is aimed for scientists and students interested in the Earth's atmosphere which is vital for the understanding of environmental changes in the global system Earth.