Drake Antarctic Agile Meteor Radar first results: Configuration and comparison of mean and tidal wind and gravity wave momentum flux measurements with Southern Argentina Agile Meteor Radar

A new generation meteor radar was installed at the Brazilian Antarctic Comandante Ferraz Base (62.1 degrees S) in March 2010. This paper describes the motivations for the radar location, its measurement capabilities, and comparisons of measured mean winds, tides, and gravity wave momentum fluxes from April to June of 2010 and 2011 with those by a similar radar on Tierra del Fuego (53.8 degrees S). Motivations for the radars include the "hotspot" of small-scale gravity wave activity extending from the troposphere into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) centered over the Drake Passage, the maximum of the semidiurnal tide at these latitudes, and the lack of other MLT wind measurements in this latitude band. Mean winds are seen to be strongly modulated at planetary wave and longer periods and to exhibit strong coherence over the two radars at shorter time scales as well as systematic seasonal variations. The semidiurnal tide contributes most to the large-scale winds over both radars, with maximum tidal amplitudes during May and maxima at the highest altitudes varying from similar to 20 to >70 ms(-1). In contrast, the diurnal tide and various planetary waves achieve maximum winds of similar to 10 to 20 ms(-1). Monthly mean gravity wave momentum fluxes appear to reflect the occurrence of significant sources at lower altitudes, with relatively small zonal fluxes over both radars, but with significant, and opposite, meridional momentum fluxes below similar to 85 km. These suggest gravity waves propagating away from the Drake Passage at both sites, and may indicate an important source region accounting in part for this "hotspot."