Sondre Stromfjord Fabry-Perot

Contact Person: Rick Niciejewski (niciejew@umich.edu)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The Sondre Stromfjord Fabry-Perot is operated by the University of Michigan with support from the National Science Foundation.

Data Description

The Sondre Stromfjord Fabry Perot interferometer, operated by the Space Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences of the University of Michigan is located at latitude 66.99N and longitude 50.95W. The invariant latitude is 74 degrees, the inclination of the magnetic field is 80 degrees and the declination of the field is -39 degrees (39 degrees to the west). Midnight local solar time at the site occurs at 03:24 UT, while midnight magnetic local time is 01:57 UT at the equinoxes. Magnetic midnight varies with season, being 15 minutes earlier at the winter solstice and 15 minutes later at the summer solstice compared to the equinox value.

Currently, the interferometer observes the line profiles of the forbidden emissions OI (557.7nm) and OI (630.0nm). Most of the data in the CEDAR Database are 630.0nm (code 7001), with additional 557.7nm (code 7002) data starting in 2002. The filter wheel was changed in 2002, resulting in brighter relative emissions.

The geophysical parameters obtained from the data reduction are the gas kinetic temperature of the emitting region from the natural width of the sky profile, the line of sight wind from the Doppler shift of the sky profile, and the surface brightness of the emission line. OI (630.0nm) nightglow emission is generally believed to issue from the altitude range 175 to 500 km, with the major contribution originating from a narrow height interval (a few scale heights thick) centered roughly one neutral scale height below the altitude of maximum electron density. Thus, the peak altitude of emission and the parameters of the F region are interdependent and it is difficult to assign a unique altitude to each ground based OI (630.0nm) interferometer measurement. If no other information is available, we generally ascribe 250 km as the altitude of emission.

Line of sight winds derived from the observed shift of the emission line from a zero reference position requires the determination of a zero wind. The reference zero wind is taken to be the average of an entire nights vertical wind data. Generally, the four cardinal directions are also sampled as well as the vertical. There is no exclusion of any data in the CEDAR Data Base, so cloudy night fits are also included. The cloud cover (code 440) measured by the Sondre Stromfjord meteorological station is given in octas of the sky covered. Values range from 0 (clear) to 9 (overcast). In general, temperatures and relative emissions are good for cloud cover values between 0 and 6, while winds are good for for cloud cover values between 0 and 3. When there is a lot of cloud cover, the horizontal winds become small, near zero.

Between roughly Aug-Dec, the cloud cover is 0-3 about 36% of the time, and between 0-6 about 57% of the time, where these estimates can vary by about +/-15%. The cloud cover is about 17% less between about Jan-May, where values of 0-3 occur about 52% of the time while values of 0-6 occur about 75% of the time between 1984 and 2004. When the cloud cover is 7-9 (about 43% of the time in Aug-Dec and about 25% of the time in Jan-May), then the horizontal winds appear to be close to zero and the temperatures may not be very good. Do not use the data without considering the effects of cloud cover!

Summary plots of the cloud cover, relative emission, neutral temperature and vertical wind are plotted with error bars for the vertical look direction. For look directions in opposite cardinal directions, horizontal winds are plotted without error bars. For periods where there are plots of the vertical wind, but not of the horizontal wind, then the look directions are not cardinal. This is the case for all of 1983, almost all of 1984, and part of 1987. The summary plots were redone to plot all observations including cloud cover in September 2004 for data before mid-1994.

References for the instrument and data processing procedures:

Killeen et al., Appl. Opt. 23, 612 (1984)
McCormac et al., Planet. Space Sci. 35, 1255 (1987)
Meriwether et al., Opt. Eng. 22, 128 (1983)
Niciejewski et al., SPIE Proceedings, 1745, 165 (1992)


Summary Plots for Sondre Stromfjord Fabry-Perot at 630.nm (red line ~250 km) and at 557.7nm (green line ~97 km) starting in 2002:

The cloud cover is in octas (eigths of the sky), and values from 0-3 have good winds, and 0-6 have good temperatures and emissions, while larger cloud cover values (overcast=9) tend to show small horizontal winds since the Doppler shift cannot be found. Do not use the data and ignore the cloud cover values!

  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 02-Dec 11, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 1983 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Feb 29, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 01-Mar 10, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 11-Mar 20, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 21-Mar 30, 1984 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 13-Sep 22, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 23-Oct 02, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 03-Oct 12, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 13-Oct 22, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 23-Nov 01, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 02-Nov 11, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1987 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Feb 29, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 01-Mar 10, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 11-Mar 20, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 21-Mar 30, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 31-Apr 09, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 10-Apr 19, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 20-Apr 29, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 13-Sep 22, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 23-Oct 02, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 03-Oct 12, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 13-Oct 22, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 23-Nov 01, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 02-Nov 11, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 02-Dec 11, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 1988 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Aug 24-Sep 02, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 03-Sep 12, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 13-Sep 22, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 23-Oct 02, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 03-Oct 12, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 13-Oct 22, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 23-Nov 01, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 02-Nov 11, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 02-Dec 11, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 1989 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 1989 All data for this period

  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 21-Apr 30, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 13-Sep 22, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 23-Oct 02, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 03-Oct 12, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 13-Oct 22, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 23-Nov 01, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 02-Nov 11, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 02-Dec 11, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 1990 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 21-Apr 30, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for May 01-May 10, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Aug 24-Sep 02, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 03-Sep 12, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 13-Sep 22, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 23-Oct 02, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 03-Oct 12, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 13-Oct 22, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 23-Nov 01, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 02-Nov 11, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 02-Dec 11, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 1991 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Feb 29, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 01-Mar 10, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 11-Mar 20, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 21-Mar 30, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 31-Apr 09, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 10-Apr 19, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 20-Apr 29, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 30-May 09, 1992 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 21-Apr 30, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 02-Nov 11, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 02-Dec 11, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 1993 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 21-Apr 30, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Aug 14-Aug 23, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Aug 24-Sep 02, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 03-Sep 12, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 13-Sep 22, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Sep 23-Oct 02, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 03-Oct 12, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 13-Oct 22, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Oct 23-Nov 01, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 02-Nov 11, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 12-Nov 21, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Nov 22-Dec 01, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 02-Dec 11, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 1994 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 21-Apr 30, 1995 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for May 01-May 10, 1995 All data for this period

  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Dec 12-Dec 21, 2002 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Dec 22-Dec 31, 2002 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Feb 20-Mar 01, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Mar 02-Mar 11, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Mar 12-Mar 21, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Mar 22-Mar 31, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Apr 01-Apr 10, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Apr 11-Apr 20, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Apr 21-Apr 30, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for May 01-May 10, 2003 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 01-Jan 10, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 11-Jan 20, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 21-Jan 30, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Jan 31-Feb 09, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Feb 10-Feb 19, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Feb 20-Feb 29, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Mar 01-Mar 10, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Mar 11-Mar 20, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Mar 21-Mar 30, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Mar 31-Apr 09, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Apr 10-Apr 19, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm or green 558nm for Apr 20-Apr 29, 2004 All data for this period
  • red 630nm for Apr 30-May 09, 2004


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    -Revised 07 Sep 2004 by emery@ucar.edu