A Global Reference Atmosphere from 18 to 80 km

Abstract
Monthly means of zonal mean temperature, pressure, density, number density, pressure scale height, and geostrophic W-E wind are tabulated at heights from 18 to 80 km and latitudes from 80 S to 80 N with a 10 deg latitude interval. Formulae by which these quantities may be computed are present. Monthly mean longitudinal variations of temperature, pressure and density are tabulated at 30 deg longitude intervals for September to April in the N hemisphere and April to November in the S hemisphere at latitudes 20, 30, ..., 80 N (or S) over the same range of heights. Formulae by which the temperature, pressure and density variations may be computed are presented. The zonal means are derived from tabulations of temperature and geopotential height based on Nimbus 5 SCR and Nimbus 6 PMR and a S hemisphere reference atmosphere based on rocketsonde data that were both prepared for the COSPAR Meeting, Graz 1984 and on two earlier N hemisphere rocket-based reference atmospheres. CIRA 1972 and Air Force Reference Atmospheres (1978). The longitudinal variations are derived solely from the satellite-based tabulations. Comparisons are made between the rocket-based reference atmospheres, the satellite-based tabulations and the reference values presented here. Keywords: Reference atmosphere; Temperature; Pressure; Density; Stratosphere; Mesosphere

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