Fe/Rayleigh lidar measurements are combined with the high-altitude balloonsonde
data and used to characterize the seasonal variations of atmospheric temperature at South
Pole from the surface (2.835 km) to 110 km altitude. Twelve-month oscillations,
associated with solar UV absorption by ozone, dominate the seasonal variations of
temperature throughout the stratosphere and lower mesosphere from 10 to 60 km. In the
mesopause region between 70 and 100 km, 12- and 6-month oscillations dominate the
seasonal variations with the warmest temperatures occurring near the spring and fall
equinoxes. During the month of March, temperature near 80 km is more than 25 K
warmer than MSIS-00. The spring and fall temperature maxima in the mesopause region
appear to be associated with the combined effects of the annual variations in adiabatic
heating and cooling and the annual variations in solar heating, which are 180 out of
phase. During the month of June, the stratopause and mesopause temperatures are about
20β30 K colder than the model predictions. The seasonal temperature variations are the
largest near 85 km altitude, where they are approximately 85 K peak to peak.Ope