Seasonal variations in molecular oxygen near 100 km

Abstract

Molecular oxygen densities determined from a solar Lyman α occultation experiment on Solrad 8 during December 1966 through August 1967 show a large apparent seasonal variation in the earth's atmosphere near 100 km. The seasonal variation appears at all latitudes that are examined by the occultation technique, and it does not appear to be associated with latitudinal gradients. Also, the data do not show substantial differences between sunrise and sunset.

Seasonal variations in mesospheric molecular oxygen

“…RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Some studies have been made of seasonal variations in molecular oxygen at lower thermospheric altitudes by using the satellite occultation technique [Norton and Warnock, 1968; Roble and Norton, 1972]. Recently, Offermann [1974] Information on seasonal variations in molecular oxygen at mesospheric altitudes using observational data is desirable; it may also shed some light on the nature of the seasonal variations in O•.…”