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Doppler measurements of the two Vega balloons yield the following provisional estimates for the mean zonal wind velocity at the 53-54 km level in the Venus atmosphere: 69 + or - 1 m/sec for Vega 1 and 66 + or - 1 m/sec for Vega 2, with westward flow. The wind data show a perturbation which might be an evidence of solar tides.
The application of the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder to the EOS and Space Station is proposed. The use of pulsed, CO2 Doppler lidar to measure wind is described. The design requirements for a Doppler lidar operating in space, and the need to study the global distribution of naturally occurring atmospheric aerosols are discussed. The space-based Doppler lidar wind data will be useful for improving the skill of numerical weather predictions, for studying large-scale atmospheric circulation and climate dynamics, and for analyzing global biogeochemical and hydrological cycles.
The ISEE 1 and 2 magnetometer and solar wind data for about 65 quasi-perpendicular bow shocks were used to investigate the role played by low-frequency turbulence in the determination of magnetic field overshoots in collisionless shock waves. Overshoots calculated from both high-resolution data and data averaged to eliminate the effects of turbulence exhibited similar behavior, but the overshoots calculated from the averaged data were generally lower by a factor of 2. Moreover, the size of overshoots calculated from the high-resolution data increased much more strongly with Mach number than that of overshoots calculated from averaged data. The difference between overshoots measured by the two sets of data was generally consistent with the presence of a component of overshoot magnitude due to low-frequecy turbulence.
Doppler lidar wind data obtained along one leg of a race track traverse around Mount Shasta are presently studied to establish their value and limitations for the study of orographic flows, as well as to evaluate the relative usefulness of a linear model in the analyses of the observed fields-of-motion. The model successfully reproduced the observed downstream lee of positive horizontal divergence which embedded spatially irregular waves, but the amplitudes of the model downstream divergence is smaller than the observations by a factor of two.
This paper discusses the efforts currently underway to prepare for the deployment of the Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) instrument on an Earth Observing System (EOS) polar orbiter and on the Space Station. Attention is given to the measurement techiques, which include ground-based and airborne measurements in the atmosphere, and to the scientific and the technical issues being addressed. Global wind profiles obtained with the LAWS will effect dramatic improvement in numerical weather prediction and will be useful in determining the midtroposphere steering currents that are important in hurricane track forecasts. The global wind data will also provide information on large-scale atmospheric circulation and climate dynamics and on biogeochemical and hydrologic cycles.
The generalized windshear hazard index presently defined is derived from aircraft-position wind data and remotely sensed data obtained along the extended flight path by such candidate sensor technologies as microwave Doppler radar, Doppler lidar, and IR radiometry. Attention is given here to the results of a comparative evaluation of CO2 and Ho:YAG lidar sensor-employing windshear-detection systems, over a range 1-3 km ahead of the aircraft (corresponding to 15-45 sec of warning time). While the technology for a 10.6-micron CO2 lidar system is available, an optimum 2-micron REE laser crystal-based system remains to be developed.
The solar wind data from the plasma science experiment on the Voyager spacecraft are examined to search for the source of the 2 to 3 kHz radio noise detected in the outer heliosphere. It is found that two anomalous high speed streams passed Voyager 2 before the noise was initially observed. It is suggested that the interaction of these streams with the terminal shock is responsible for the more intense emission. Using a time-of-flight argument, the distance to the shock is estimated at about 70 AU-140 AU. The larger value is consistent with an estimate using Voyager data and a standard pressure-balance argument.
Television photos of smoke plumes are analyzed to estimate meridional wind shear on the space shuttle Challenger associated with the accident of Mission 51-L. Gust velocities were obtained by detailed examination of the debris trails. The shuttle exhaust trail was used to establish altitudes of significant features in the photographs. Wind data obtained from the photographs compare favorably with data obtained from a rawinsonde released 9 min after the launch of the shuttle.
The data system of the spaceborne eight-beam NASA scatterometer for measuring ocean backscatter is a nonreal-time ground-based science data processing system which inputs backscatter telemetry, processes the data into wind vectors, and archives and distributes the wind vector data and other products. Special attention is given to changes to the baseline design intended to meet new requirements for the data granularity, the data needs of the science team receiving the data, and the telemetry data source.
Since 1983 the Plasma Wave experiments on the two Voyager spacecraft have detected low frequency radio noise in the outer heliosphere which has been postulated to emanate from the terminal shock of the solar wind or, possibly, from the heliopause itself. The solar wind data from the Plasma Science experiment on the Voyager spacecraft are studied to search for correlations with these radio emissions. It is found that two anomalous high speed streams passed Voyager 2 in late 1982 and early 1983 and it is suggested that the interaction of the streams with the heliospheric terminal shock is responsible for the generation of the most intense radio noise observed later in the same year. If the stream speeds did not decrease in traveling to the interaction region, that region is about 135 AU from the sun. This is consistent with previous estimates of the distance to the inner heliospheric shock.
SODAR application to wind shear and wake vortex detection is described. A commercial phase array SODAR line was developed and operated at Roissy International Airport for a few days. Some radial wind data are presented. Even though this system was not optimized for such application, it showed ranges of about 800 m for an averaging time of 10 min and an elevation angle of 20 deg. Some strong echo regions are present in the data and seem to be related to wake vortex.
Voyager imaging observations of zonal cloud-tracked winds on Neptune revealed a strongly subrotational equatorial jet with a speed approaching 500 m/s and generally decreasing retrograde motion toward the poles. The wind data are interpreted with a speculative but revealingly simple model based on steady gradient flow balance and an assumed global homogenization of potential vorticity for shallow layer motion. The prescribed model flow profile relates the equatorial velocity to the mid-latitude shear, in reasonable agreement with the available data, and implies a global horizontal deformation scale L(D) of about 3000 km.
Graphic illustration of midlatitude interchange of atmospheric angular momentum between distant regions is presented. An examination is conducted of the global distribution of atmospheric angular momentum during 1977-1978 and 1982-1983 in order to identify evidence of prominent short-term interchanges of relavitive atmospheric angular momentum between mid and high latitude zones in both hemispheres. Thirty-day detrended angular momentum time series, prepared from the NMC global zonal wind data, are examined in latitude bands. The results confirm that momentum can be selectively redistributed between tropical, temperate, and high latitudes in patterns indicative of the development and dissipation of interacting regions, described variously in studies on the index cycle, seesaws, and telecommunications.
Scatterometry and scatterometer design issues are reviewed. The design of the NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) to be flown on the Japanese ADEOS mission is presented. Building on Seasat experience, the NSCAT system includes several enhancements, such as three antenna azimuths in each of two swaths, and an onboard digital Doppler processor to allow backscatter measurements to be colocated everywhere within the orbit. These enhancements will greatly increase the quality of the NSCAT wind data. The ground processing of data is discussed, and scatterometers of the next decade are briefly described.
Several major NASA research efforts in lidar remote sensing are reviewed, with attention given to hardware and key sensor issues along with results and expectations. The discussion covers temperature and pressure measurements, measurements methods and instrumentation, pressure data, wind field measurements, atmospheric backscatter measurement, aerosol and cloud measurements, and water vapor measurement. Consideration is also given to the applicability of lidar measurements to problems of operational weather analysis and forecasting, climate studies, mesoscale and severe storm analysis and forecastig, and studies of atmosphere/surface interface.
The lateral aerodynamic characteristics of the X-31 were determined at angles of attack ranging from 20 to 45 deg. Estimates of the lateral stability and control parameters were obtained by applying two parameter estimation techniques, linear regression, and the extended Kalman filter to flight test data. An attempt to apply maximum likelihood to extract parameters from the flight data was also made but failed for the reasons presented. An overview of the System Identification process is given. The overview includes a listing of the more important properties of all three estimation techniques that were applied to the data. A comparison is given of results obtained from flight test data and wind tunnel data for four important lateral parameters. Finally, future research to be conducted in this area is discussed.
We have analyzed the spatial and temporal variability of chlorophyll in the Atlantic Ocean off the Portugal coast using satellite imagery from 1979 to 1986 in conjunction with wind data. The spatial patterns in the imagery show the typical inshore-offshore and east-west gradients, while the temporal patterns show seasonal high winter values and low summer values. In the satellite imagery for the period 1979-1986, stable mesoscale and large scale patterns recurred despite interannual differences in absolute satellite-derived pigment concentrations.
Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) fluctuations in the solar wind have been investigated previously by use of Elsaesser variables. In this paper, we present a comparison of the spectra of Elsaesser variables in the undisturbed solar wind at 1 AU and in the ion foreshock in front of the Earth. Both observations take place under relatively strong solar wind flow speed conditions (approximately equal 600 km/s). In the undisturbed solar wind we find that outward propagating Alfven waves dominate, as reported by other observers. In the ion foreshock the situation is more complex, with neither outward nor inward propagation dominating over the entire range investigated (1-10 mHz). Measurements of the Poynting vectors associated with the fluctuations are consistent with the Elsaesser variable analysis. These results generally support interpretations of the Elsaesser variables which have been made based strictly on solar wind data and provide additional insight into the nature of the ion foreshock turbulence.