Evaluation of middle atmosphere temperature and wind measurements and their disturbance characteristics by meteorological rockets

Abstract. It is necessary to carry out the in-situ detection based on the meteorological rocket to deepen the cognitive level of the middle atmosphere environment. However, the effective utilization of rocket data has been limited by a lack of systematic research into data accuracy and the physical mechanisms influencing measurements. In this study, temperature and wind profiles between 20 and 60 km were obtained over northwest China using two meteorological rockets equipped with thermistors and BeiDou positioning, supplemented by a temperature correction technique. The detection results are compared with satellite, empirical model and reanalysis data. An error analysis was performed by integrating the characteristics of the drop sounding process and atmospheric disturbances. The results indicate that the rocket-derived data are of satisfactory quality, with altitude-dependent trends in temperature and wind profiles consistent with those from other sources. Observed discrepancies come from the deviation of the matching data in time and space and the excessive measurement error in the initial fall stage. Also, it is found that the instability of the parachute causes poor positioning data quality and fast falling speed, leading to significantly larger measurement errors at corresponding altitudes. Additionally, the profile from the first detection exhibited more pronounced fluctuations, attributable to the breaking of high-altitude gravity waves. The dissipation of these waves reduces atmospheric stability and generates denser small-scale layered structures on the profile, making significant wind field changes at lower altitudes through the momentum deposition.