Upper mesosphere temperatures in summer: WINDII observations and comparisons

Atmospheric temperature measurements from the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), determined from the observed Rayleigh scattering are presented. Infrared radiances predicted from these profiles are compared with measurements from the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder on UARS for nine cases of spatial and temporal coincidence with an effective difference of about 5-10 K in the height range 70-85 km. A comparison with monthly averaged SME results and Rayleigh lidar temperature observations at mid-latitudes taken 8 years earlier indicated that WINDII temperatures were cooler on average by 10 K; this is consistent with a temperature decrease of 1.5 K/year inferred from the SME and lidar results. At high latitudes the agreement between falling spheres and WINDII was found to be very good