Articles | Volume 26, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-13441-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-13441-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Sep 2026
Research article |
| 24 Sep 2026
| 24 Sep 2026
First observations of solar zenith angle modulation of diurnal tidal structure in the MLT region
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
State Key Laboratory of Environment Characteristics and Effects for Near-space, Beijing, China
National Field Observation and Research Station (Anhui Mengcheng) for Geophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Jianyuan Wang
School of Microelectronics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
National Field Observation and Research Station (Anhui Mengcheng) for Geophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Hefei National Laboratory for the Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Hefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Chengyun Yang
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
National Field Observation and Research Station (Anhui Mengcheng) for Geophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Iain M. Reid
ATRAD Pty Ltd., Underdale, South Australia, Australia
School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Robert A. Vincent
ATRAD Pty Ltd., Underdale, South Australia, Australia
School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Andrew MacKinnon
School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Damian J. Murphy
Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia
Njål Gulbrandsen
Tromsø Geophysical Observatory, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
Masaki Tsutsumi
National Institute of Polar Research, Tachikawa, Japan
Baiqi Ning
Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Guozhu Li
Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Nicholas J. Mitchell
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, The University of Bath, Bath, UK
Tracy Moffat-Griffin
Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, The University of Bath, Bath, UK
Toshitaka Tsuda
Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Uji, Japan
Haiying Li
National Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation, China Research Institute of Radiowave Propagation, Qingdao, China
Paulo P. Batista
Heliophysics, Planetary Science and Aeronomy Division, National Institute for Space Research-INPE, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
Jianfei Wu
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
National Field Observation and Research Station (Anhui Mengcheng) for Geophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Tingdi Chen
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
National Field Observation and Research Station (Anhui Mengcheng) for Geophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Xiankang Dou
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Hefei National Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Data sets
Atmospheric Data Simulated by SD-WACCM model, V1.0 USTC https://doi.org/10.12176/01.60.00003-V01
Monthly mean amplitudes and phases of composite zonal and meridional diurnal, semidiurnal and terdiurnal tidal components W. Yi https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.29648918.v1
1979--2014 SDWACCM data Y. Cen https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19777918
SKiYMET Meteor Radar Horizontal Wind A. Liu and S. Franke https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4267128
University of Bath: King Edward Point Skiymet Meteor radar data (2016--2020) N. Mitchell https://doi.org/10.5285/061fc7fd1ca940e7ad685daf146db08f
Short summary
This study provides observational evidence that the solar zenith angle (SZA) influences the vertical structure of diurnal tides in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region. Diurnal tides are strongest at low and mid-latitudes (10–50° N/S) and weaker near the Equator and at polar latitudes. The results further suggest that background zonal winds influence tidal propagation and structure through filtering and momentum drag.
This study provides observational evidence that the solar zenith angle (SZA) influences the...
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