Climatology of the semidiurnal tide at 52-56°N from ground-based radar wind measurements 1985-1995

Long-term wind measurements carried out at 6 northern midlatitude sites (Saskatoon, Sheffield, Juliusruh, Collm, Obninsk, Kazan) are investigated to establish a climatology of the semidiurnal tide in the mesopause region for the narrow latitudinal range between 52 degrees N and 56 degrees N. Comparison of zonal and meridional components shows that in general the horizontal components are circularly polarized. Intercomparison of amplitudes and phases generally shows good agreement between the results from the different measuring systems. The results are compared with an empirical model of the semidiurnal tide. The longitudinal variation of the semidiurnal tide is small in summer, but the tidal amplitudes in winter are larger at Saskatoon and Kazan, compared with the results from the other sites. The possible influence of wave-tidal interaction in the stratosphere on the interannual variability of this difference is discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.