On the horizontal and vertical variability of the vertical turbulent eddy diffusion coefficients in the mesosphere

Utilizing the premise of turbulent energy balance and an altitude-invariant non-dimensional relations of turbulent heat flux, vertical turbulent diffusivities are obtained from bodies of data consisting of winds and temperature in the upper atmosphere. These are specific to the small scale turbulent motions of the atmosphere and should be differentiated from those determined from the study of wave interactive damping mechanisms. The average values of the turbulent diffusivities derived in this work are presented as a function of latitude, and are compared to those derived by an alternative method.