Antarctic Meteor Radar Wind Data from Davis Station

Davis 33MHz Meteor Detection Radar Winds contains characteristics of meteor detections from a radar at Davis station, Antarctica. Data collection began in January 2005 and the experiment runs continuously, providing inferred wind speeds in the 75-105 km altitude range. The dataset is provided by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC).

Use Cases

• Inferring average wind speed and direction in the 75-105 km altitude range using the direction of arrival and radial velocity of meteor detections.
• Analyzing seasonal variations in upper atmospheric dynamics by correlating inferred hourly wind velocity estimates with time-series data.
• Studying signal propagation characteristics by examining specific meteor detection features like signal power and echo range.
• Investigating long-term trends in mesospheric winds by utilizing the continuous data record initiated in 2005.

Strengths

• Continuous operation since January 2005 provides a long-term record.
• Data includes inferred hourly wind velocity estimates for consistent temporal analysis.
• Antenna upgrade in early 2008 improved sensitivity for all receive directions.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, sample sizes, and data volume are unknown.
• Data is stored in a proprietary binary format requiring conversion tools from the manufacturer.
• Initial data from 2005-2008 used single dipole antennas with lower sensitivity in certain directions.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), sourced from NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Collected by a continuously operating 33MHz meteor detection radar at Davis station, Antarctica.

Time Range

From January 2005 onward.

Freshness

null

Geography

Davis station, Antarctica.