Abstract The thermal dynamics of the upper atmosphere, especially in the mesosphere, have been improving our understanding about the effects of climate change, as well as how the dynamics and general circulation in the upper atmosphere are driven by different types of waves, such as the atmospheric gravity waves, planetary waves and atmospheric tides. In order to study the upper atmospheric temperature variability and gravity waves, several research groups have been employing the remote technique of observing the airglow emissions originated in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere, besides emissions from the ionosphere. INPE’s airglow group started the studies on emissions from the upper atmosphere to investigate temperature and dynamics in the mesosphere, thermosphere/ionosphere at the end of 70’s. However, only in 2001 this group sent the first airglow experiment to the Brazilian Antarctic Station Comandante Ferraz (EACF) to measure the OH (8-3) emission and temperature. From that year to 2014, several other experiments were carried out at EACF, not only to measure the temperature and airglow intensities, but also to observe gravity waves, winds and other related phenomena. This paper presents airglow experiments at EACF from 2001 to the present, including illustrations, examples of already published results, and unpublished data.

Abstract The ionospheric investigations have improved our understanding of the space weather role in the upper atmosphere conditions, particularly at higher latitudes where the geospace phenomena print their signatures. The simultaneous observations using multi-instruments have improved our knowledge of the coupling processes inside the ionosphere, and their connection with the magnetosphere and neutral atmosphere processes under the space weather phenomena. The ionosphere probing at EACF started on 1986 using an analogical very low frequency (VLF) system, and after the year 2004 using digital VLF system, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), riometers and Canadian digital ionosonde (CADI). This paper presents the different radio techniques that have been used at Brazilian Antarctic Station Comandante Ferraz (EACF) to characterize the ionospheric conditions, and the highlights of the studies using multi-instrument observations performed in the last few decades.

Resumo O monitoramento de longo prazo dos eventos de Influência do Buraco de Ozônio Antártico sobre o Sul do Brasil foi realizado no período de 35 anos entre 1979 e 2013 e calculada a climatologia e anomalias dos campos estratosféricos quando de sua ocorrência. Para isso, foram analisados os dados da coluna total de ozônio (CTO) obtidos através de Espectrofotômetros Brewer, instalados no Observatório Espacial do Sul - OES/CRS/INPE - MCTIC (29,4 °S; 53,8 °O; 488,7 m) e pelos instrumentos de satélite Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) e Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), além de parâmetros da reanálise II do NCEP/DOE (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/ Departament of Energy) e trajetórias retroativas do modelo HYSPLIT (HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory). A metodologia empregada mostrou-se eficaz na identificação de 62 eventos com uma redução média de -9,35 ± 2,93% no conteúdo de ozônio. Além disso, foi realizada a identificação do padrão de circulação estratosférica através de campos médios e anomalias da vorticidade potencial, vento e temperatura para os dias de ocorrência do fenômeno, sendo observado um padrão de deslocamento de onda, embebida dentro de uma ampla região de circulação ciclônica, com ventos predominantemente de sul é advectado em direção ao Sul do Brasil.

Abstract The long-term monitoring of Influence of the Antarctic Ozone Hole over South of Brazil events was carried out for the period of 35 years between 1979 and 2013 and the climatology and anomalies of the stratospheric fields were calculated when this type of phenomenon occurred. For this, the data of the total ozone column (TOC) was obtained by Brewer Spectrophotometers, installed at the Southern Space Observatory - SSO / CRS / INPE - MCTIC (29.4 °S, 53.8 °W, 488, 7 m) and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite instruments, as well as the reanalysis II of the NCEP / DOE (National Centers for Environmental Prediction / Department of Energy) and retroactive trajectories by HYSPLIT ( HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) model. The methodology used was effective in identifying 62 events with a mean reduction of -9.35 ± 2.93% in the ozone content. In addition, the stratospheric circulation pattern was identified through mean fields and anomalies of potential vorticity, wind and temperature for the occurrence days of the phenomenon, with a wave displacement pattern embedded within a wide cyclonic circulation region, with predominantly southern winds is advected toward the south of Brazil.

Neste trabalho será apresentada uma metodologia para calcular a temperatura na alta mesosfera usando a emissão da luminescência atmosférica do OH (6-2). O sistema imageador de temperatura consiste de uma câmera CCD e um sistema óptico (incluindo um filtro de interferência, uma lente Fresnel e a objetiva), instrumento este que foi desenvolvido pelo grupo de Luminescência Atmosférica do INPE em São José dos Campos, Brasil. A calibração do instrumento foi realizada no Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa Polar, Japão, usando uma esfera integradora de 2 m de diâmetro. As primeiras observações de temperatura e intensidade do OH (6-2) foram feitas no Observatório de Cachoeira Paulista (22.7ºS), Brasil, de Março a Maio de 2005, e os resultados foram comparados com os obtidos por um fotômetro zenital de filtro inclinado (MC2) que operou no mesmo local. Alguns resultados são apresentados e comparados com o modelo atmosférico de temperatura, MSISE-90, mostrando uma boa concordância com os valores médios noturnos, porém diferindo com relação à variabilidade noturna.

In this work we present a methodology to calculate the temperature in the upper mesosphere using a spectral OH (6-2) airglow temperature imager. The temperature imager system consists of a CCD camera and an optical head (including an interferometer filter, Fresnel lens and objective lens) which was developed by Airglow group of INPE in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The instrument calibration was performed at National Institute of Polar Research, Japan, using a 2 m diameter integrating sphere. The airglow test observations were carried out at Cachoeira Paulista Observatory (22.7ºS), Brazil, from March to May 2005, and the results were compared to that obtained by a tilting-filter zenith photometer (MC2) at the same place. Some results are presented and compared with MSISE-90 atmospheric temperature model, which showed a good agreement in the nocturnal mean values, while exhibiting a different nocturnal variability.