edu.ucar.opensky::articles:14083 UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact 2025-12-26T03:30:56.004639 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7cz3830 Changes of thermospheric composition and ionospheric density caused by quasi 2-day wave dissipation 2014-03-24T00:00:00Z publication https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7cz3830 https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JA019725 Yue, J. author Wang, Wenbin author UCAR/NCAR - Library publisher Using the thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere electrodynamics-general circulation model, we investigate the effect of quasi 2 day wave (QTDW) dissipation on thermospheric composition (O/N₂) and ionospheric electron density during solar minimum. The overall thermospheric and ionospheric changes induced by the QTDW are evaluated by running the model with and without QTDW forcing imposed at the model lower boundary. The dissipation of the westward propagating QTDW in the lower thermosphere causes westward mean wind acceleration and drives a poleward meridional circulation. The circulation induced by the QTDW, as determined by the difference between the mean wind patterns of a run with the QTDW and a base run without the QTDW, enhances the mixing of constituents in the lower thermosphere. Through molecular diffusion, the decrease of the O mixing ratio and the increase of the N₂ and O₂ mixing ratios propagate from the lower thermosphere into the upper thermosphere. As a result, the O/N₂ ratio near the ionospheric F₂ peak is reduced by about 16-20% at low and midlatitudes. This in turn produces an approximately 16-32% depletion in the F₂ peak electron density at low and midlatitudes. The simulated decrease of electron density during a QTDW event is in quantitative agreement with published observations. This work suggests a new major pathway for the traveling planetary wave from the lower atmosphere to affect the thermosphere and ionosphere via dissipation and mean wind acceleration. UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact PDF Text theme Resource Type 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z publication Copyright 2014 American Geophysical Union. None eng geoscientificInformation