Data Analysis of Upper Atmosphere Temperature Detected by Sounding Rockets in China

Abstract Sounding rockets launched by China have collected data on the upper atmosphere for nearly 50 years. In this work, the data accuracy and variable characteristics of upper atmosphere temperature data, gathered at heights of 20–60 km over Jiuquan, China, during 1974–2014, were analyzed. The relative accuracy of sounding rocket temperature data was determined by comparing the data with Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter (MSIS) model data by season, and with Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) from theThermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics(TIMED) satellite by year. The sounding rocket temperature data showed differences from MSIS in every season, with the minimum difference occurring in summer, the next smallest difference in winter, and the maximum difference occurring in autumn. The sounding rocket data showed smaller differences from the SABER data, although the deviation still fluctuated depending on the date and hour of the observations. In addition, the temperature distributions of the temperature profiles were examined at different times at the same heights. By linearly fitting the mean temperature profiles of each season, the statistical characteristics of the temperature changes with height were explored.