Nonvalidation of mesospheric horizontal wind fluctuations derived from temperature data via comparison with MF radar wind measurements

Mesospheric transport processes and energy budget are tied closely to gravi ty wave activity. Any means of monitoring dynamics reliably can only contri bute to our understanding of the physics of the mesosphere. In this study w e employ temperature data derived from hydroxyl.(OH) emission from around 8 5 km and combine it with the theory of Hines [1960] to investigate the prac ticality of deducing fluctuations in horizontal wind speed. Myrabo and Hara ng [1988] have used a simplified theory [Hines, 1965] but, apparently, to d educe tidal fluctuations in the horizontal wind; this prompts us to investi gate the range of timescales for which the Hines [1965] result and the assu mptions implicit therein may be used in practice. Our conclusion is that th is theory may not be extended to scales of dynamics outside those intended by Hines. Thus while the Myrabo and Harang [1988] results seem plausible, t hey are probably incorrect.