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NASA Aeronomy of Ice In the Mesosphere (AIM) Mission Data

Entry ID: NASA_AIM_CIPS_DATA

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Summary

Abstract: [Source: AIM Mission Home Page, Hampton University, http://aim.hamptonu.edu/ ]

AIM is the first satellite mission dedicated to the study of noctilucent or “night-shining” clouds (NLCs) also called Polar Mesospheric clouds (PMCs). It has provided the first global-scale view of the clouds over the entire 2007 Northern Hemisphere season with an unprecedented resolution of 5 km by 5 km and is nearing ... completion of observations in the Southern Hemisphere season. Despite a significant increase in PMC research in recent years, relatively little is known about the basic physics of these clouds at ”the edge of space” and why they are changing. They have increased in brightness over time, are being seen more often and appear to be occurring at lower latitudes than ever before. The overall goal of the baseline mission is to determine why PMCs form and vary. Since the launch of AIM on April 25, 2007, significant progress has been made in achieving this goal and that progress continues at a rapid rate. The AIM data is of very high quality and has changed our view of PMCs and their environment after only one northern hemisphere (NH) season of observations. The startling similarity between the PMC structure observed by CIPS and that seen in tropospheric clouds suggests that the mesosphere may share some of the same dynamical processes responsible for weather near Earth’s surface. If this similarity holds up in further analysis, it introduces an entirely different view of potential mechanisms responsible for PMC formation and variability.

AIM has provided the most detailed picture of NH clouds ever collected:

- The clouds appear every day, are widespread and are highly variable on hourly to daily time scales.

- PMC brightness varies over horizontal scales of a few kilometers, and because of the AIM high horizontal resolution, we now know that over small regions the clouds are ten times brighter than measured by previous space-based instruments.

- A previously suspected, but never before seen, population of very small ice particles was measured that is believed to be responsible for strong radar echoes from the summertime mesosphere.

- Mesospheric ice occurs in one continuous layer extending from below the main peak at 83 km up to around 90 km.

-Mesospheric cloud structures, resolved for the first time by the CIPS imager, exhibit complex features present in normal tropospheric clouds.

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Description: SOFIE, CIPS, CDE, and CVO data from Hampton University.

Data Set Citation

Dataset Originator/Creator: James M. Russell III, Principal Investigator

Dataset Title: NASA Aeronomy of Ice In the Mesosphere (AIM) Mission Data

Dataset Release Place: Hampton, Virginia, USA

Online Resource: http://aim.hamptonu.edu/

Location Keywords

VERTICAL LOCATION > MESOSPHERE

Science Keywords

ATMOSPHERE > AEROSOLS > CLOUD CONDENSATION NUCLEI

ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE > GRAVITY WAVE

ISO Topic Category

CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

ENVIRONMENT

Platform

AIM > Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere

Instrument

CIPS > Cloud Imaging and Particle Size

SOFIE > Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment

CDE > AIM Cosmic Dust Experiment

Project

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

AIM > Aeronomy of Ice In the Mesosphere

Ancillary Keywords

Polar Mesospheric Clouds

PMC

Data Set Progress

IN WORK

Data Center

AIM Mission, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado

Data Center URL: http://lasp.colorado.edu/aim/

Data Center Personnel
Name: LASP/AIM MISSION Phone: 303-492-6412 Contact Address: Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics AIM Mission 1234 Innovation Drive City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80303-7814 Country: USA

Distribution

Fees: No Fee

Personnel

JAMES, DR. M. RUSSELL III

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Contact Address:

AIM Mission Principal Investigator

Publications/References

Hampton University (2008-2011), View All AIM publications, http://aim.hamptonu.edu/library/index.html, Source: AIM Mission Home Page, Hampton University

Extended Metadata Properties

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Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2013-05-06

Last DIF Revision Date: 2013-05-07

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