Daytime ozone and temperature variations in the mesosphere: a comparison between SABER observations and HAMMONIA model

Abstract. This paper investigates the latest version 1.07 SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) tropical ozone from the 1.27 μm as well as from the 9.6 μm retrieval and temperature data with respect to day time variations in the upper mesosphere. The processes involved are compared to day time variations of the three-dimensional general circulation and chemistry model HAMMONIA (Hamburg Model of the Neutral and Ionized Atmosphere). The results show a good qualitative agreement for ozone. The amplitude of daytime variations is in both cases approximately 60% of the daytime mean. During equinox the daytime maximum ozone abundance is for both, the observations and the model, higher than during solstice, especially above 0.01 hPa (approx. 80 km). The influence of tidal signatures either directly in ozone or indirectly via a temperature response above 0.01 hPa can not be fully eliminated. Below 0.01 hPa (photo-)chemistry is the main driver for variations. We also use the HAMMONIA output of daytime variation patterns of several other different trace gas species, e.g., water vapor and atomic oxygen, to discuss the daytime pattern in ozone. In contrast to ozone, temperature data show little daytime variations between 65 and 90 km and their amplitudes are on the order of less than 1.5%. In addition, SABER and HAMMONIA temperatures show significant differences above 80 km.