Data · dataset · 2026
A numerical investigation on the variation of sodium ion and observed thermospheric sodium layer at Cerro Pachón, Chile during equinox
Listed in National Center for Atmospheric Research
The extension of the neutral sodium (Na) layer into the thermosphere (up to 170 km) has recently been observed at low and high latitudes using a Na lidar.
Description
However, the geophysical mechanisms and implications of its formation are currently unknown. In this study, we conduct an advanced two-dimensional numerical simulation of the Na and Na+ variations in the E and F regions at low latitudes.
The numerical simulations are used to investigate the contributions of the electromagnetic force, neutral wind, diffusion, and gravity. The simulations lead to three major findings. First, Na+ in the subtropical region of the geomagnetic equator acts as the major reservoir of the neutral sodium, and its distribution during nighttime is mostly below 200 km due to the combined effect of the vertical component of the E -> xB -> drift and Coulomb-induced drift.
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Second, we find that the fountain effect has little influence on the behavior of Na in the nighttime. Third, the probable explanation for the frequent generation of the thermospheric sodium layer during spring equinox at Cerro Pachon, Chile is attributed to the large vertical neutral transport generated by large vertical wind perturbations of unknown origin, with a magnitude exceeding 10 m/s that is closely associated with the semidiurnal tide.
Links
Get the data
- Publisher page n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7x63r9v ↗
documentation · download · from data ucar edu
Where it is published
- data.ucar.edu /dataset/a-numerical-investigation-on-the-variation-of-sodium-i… ↗
National Center for Atmospheric Research dataset page
landing page · from data ucar edu
Catalogue records · 1
- CKAN API data.ucar.edu/api/3/action/package_show?id=08e1a5f3-d4ef-4c5d-b080-ca0bcaece… ↗
metadata API · from data ucar edu
Topics
- From keywords
- Earth & Environmental Science · Ocean & Atmospheric Science
- Inferred from text
- Atmospheric sciences 69% · Simulation 75%
Provenance · 1 source records, 9 field assertions
| Source | Key | Last seen | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Center for Atmospheric Research | 08e1a5f3-d4ef-4c5d-b080-ca0bcaece4ff | 10 d ago | JSON v1 |
| Field | Assertion | Extractor | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| concepts[field].anzsrc:group:3701 | enrichment · data ucar edu | taxonomy-embedding@1.1.0 | title+keywords+description (69%) |
| concepts[field].local:field:earth-environmental | mapping · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:ocean-atmospheric | mapping · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[method].local:method:simulation | enrichment · data ucar edu | keyword-concept-rules@1.0.0 | title+description (75%) |
| created_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| description | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | /notes |
| publication_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| title | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | /title |
| updated_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 |