Articles | Volume 34, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-34-369-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-34-369-2016
Regular paper
 | 
24 Mar 2016
Regular paper |  | 24 Mar 2016

Measurement of momentum flux using two meteor radars in Indonesia

Naoki Matsumoto, Atsuki Shinbori, Dennis M. Riggin, and Toshitaka Tsuda

Abstract. Two nearly identical meteor radars were operated at Koto Tabang (0.20° S, 100.32° E), West Sumatra, and Biak (1.17° S, 136.10° E), West Papua, in Indonesia, separated by approximately 4000 km in longitude on the Equator. The zonal and meridional momentum flux, uw′ and vw′, where u, v, and w are the eastward, northward, and vertical wind velocity components, respectively, were estimated at 86 to 94 km altitudes using the meteor radar data by applying a method proposed by Hocking (2005). The observed uw′ at the two sites agreed reasonably well at 86, 90, and 94 km during the observation periods when the data acquisition rate was sufficiently large enough. Variations in vw′ were consistent between 86, 90, and 94 km altitudes at both sites. The climatological variation in the monthly averaged uw′ and vw′ was investigated using the long-term radar data at Koto Tabang from November 2002 to November 2013. The seasonal variations in uw′ and vw′ showed a repeatable semiannual and annual cycles, respectively. uw′ showed eastward values in February–April and July–September and vw′ was northward in June to August at 90–94 km, both of which were generally anti-phase with the mean zonal and meridional winds, having the same periodicity. Our results suggest the usefulness of the Hocking method.

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Short summary
We investigated the zonal and meridional momentum flux at 86–94 km using two nearly identical sets of meteor radar observation data at Koto Tabang and Biak in Indonesia (both at the Equator) by applying a method proposed by Hocking (2005). The observed zonal momentum flux at the two sites agreed reasonably well at 86, 90, and 94 km during the observation periods when the data acquisition rate was large enough. Our results suggest the usefulness of the Hocking method.