Planetary wave induced wind and airglow oscillations in the middle latitude MLT region

• Planetary wave activities in the middle latitude MLT region during winter.
• Airglow intensity oscillations by planetary 10 and 16 day waves.
• Possible contribution of 10-day wave in the vertical mixing of atomic oxygen.

Upper mesosphere airglow emissions and temperature observed at Rikubetsu (43.5°N,143.8°E) and mesospheric winds observed at Wakkanai (45.4°N,141.8°E), Japan, from January to December 2005 were used to analyze periodic oscillations of 2–16 days. During the January to March period and after September, both winds and airglow demonstrated clear 8-, 10- and 16-day oscillations. Downward phase progressions observed in the oscillations indicate that these are a signature of Rossby mode planetary waves. The 16-day wave was more evident in the zonal wind than the meridional. The 10-day wave was observed in January and March, on the basis of only a few cycles superposed on the 16-day wave. Airglow OI 557.7 nm, O2 and OH(6,2) band emissions and O2 rotational temperature also showed significant amplitude of oscillation induced by the wave passages. For the 10-day wave, OI557.7 nm showed an amplitude of oscillation equals to or more than 50% of the mean intensity level, O2 ∼45% and OH ∼25%. Large amplitudes of oscillation of the airglow during the passage of planetary waves suggest the possible vertical transport of atomic oxygen in addition to the density and temperature variations intrinsic to the wave events.