Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause Region

Abstract Atomic hydrogen (H) is crucial for understanding photochemistry and the energy budget in the mesopause region. However, there is still no consensus on the H abundance in this region. This study presents a new hydrogen data set derived from Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmosp...

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Main Authors: Xiaolin Wu, Yajun Zhu, Anne K. Smith, Martin Kaufmann, Jiyao Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116311
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author Xiaolin Wu
Yajun Zhu
Anne K. Smith
Martin Kaufmann
Jiyao Xu
author_facet Xiaolin Wu
Yajun Zhu
Anne K. Smith
Martin Kaufmann
Jiyao Xu
author_sort Xiaolin Wu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Atomic hydrogen (H) is crucial for understanding photochemistry and the energy budget in the mesopause region. However, there is still no consensus on the H abundance in this region. This study presents a new hydrogen data set derived from Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) OH(9–6) band spectra, collocated with temperature and ozone profiles from other remote sensing instruments. H number densities peak at 82–87 km and range from 1.5×108 to 4×108 cm−3, depending on season and latitude. Two other H data sets obtained from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) are presented for comparison: those from Mlynczak et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077377) and Panka et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091053) are approximately 30% lower and 50% higher than the SCIAMACHY data at peak altitudes, respectively. Additionally, the H number density retrieved in this study partly shows better agreement with the only direct rocket in situ measurements than those from SABER.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-7d5617630e17436bba07fbd4bc7dba942025-08-20T03:40:44ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-08-015215n/an/a10.1029/2025GL116311Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause RegionXiaolin Wu0Yajun Zhu1Anne K. Smith2Martin Kaufmann3Jiyao Xu4State Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaNSF National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAInstitute of Climate and Energy Systems ‐ Stratosphere (ICE‐4) Forschungszentrum Jülich Jülich GermanyState Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather National Space Science Center Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaAbstract Atomic hydrogen (H) is crucial for understanding photochemistry and the energy budget in the mesopause region. However, there is still no consensus on the H abundance in this region. This study presents a new hydrogen data set derived from Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) OH(9–6) band spectra, collocated with temperature and ozone profiles from other remote sensing instruments. H number densities peak at 82–87 km and range from 1.5×108 to 4×108 cm−3, depending on season and latitude. Two other H data sets obtained from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) are presented for comparison: those from Mlynczak et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077377) and Panka et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091053) are approximately 30% lower and 50% higher than the SCIAMACHY data at peak altitudes, respectively. Additionally, the H number density retrieved in this study partly shows better agreement with the only direct rocket in situ measurements than those from SABER.https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116311
spellingShingle Xiaolin Wu
Yajun Zhu
Anne K. Smith
Martin Kaufmann
Jiyao Xu
Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause Region
Geophysical Research Letters
title Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause Region
title_full Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause Region
title_fullStr Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause Region
title_full_unstemmed Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause Region
title_short Nighttime Atomic Hydrogen Abundance Retrieved From SCIAMACHY Hydroxyl Airglow Measurements in the Mesopause Region
title_sort nighttime atomic hydrogen abundance retrieved from sciamachy hydroxyl airglow measurements in the mesopause region
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116311
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AT martinkaufmann nighttimeatomichydrogenabundanceretrievedfromsciamachyhydroxylairglowmeasurementsinthemesopauseregion
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