Observational analysis reveals hemispheric differences in high-latitude thermospheric winds during June 2018, indicating that summer cusp heating drives distinct wind profiles.
Using the HIWIND balloon and Antarctic Jang Bogo station high latitude conjugate observations of the thermospheric winds we investigate the seasonal and hemispheric differences between the northern and southern hemispheres in June 2018. We found that the summer (northern) hemisphere dayside meridional winds have a double hump feature, whereas in the winter (southern) hemisphere the dayside meridional winds have a single hump feature. We attribute that to stronger summer, perhaps, northern hemisphere cusp heating. We also compared the observation with NCAR TIEGCM (Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model) and GTR (GAMERA TIEGCM RCM) models. The TIEGCM reproduced the double hump feature because of added cusp heating. The summer hemisphere has stronger anti-sunward winds. This is the first time we have very high latitude conjugate thermospheric wind observations.
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