CEDAR: Lower Thermosphere Coupling Study

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This study is devoted to those coupling processes which determine the dynamical, thermal, and chemical structure of the lower thermosphere (ca. 90-150 km): dynamical coupling with lower atmosphere regions due to upward propagating gravity waves, tides, and planetary waves; and vertical and latitudinal transport of O, NO, Na, and other minor neutral and ionized species due to dynamical/electrodynamic interactions in the lower thermosphere. A range of dynamical models will be utilized to address such problems as self-consistent interaction between gravity waves, tides, and the mean flow; convective instability arising as a result of such interactions; seasonal/latitudinal and local time variations in turbulent mixing and "tidal mixing" on the transport of minor species; and the role of gravity waves as a momentum source for the thermosphere. In addition, a newly developed method of assimilative data analysis will be applied to global measurements of tidal winds and temperatures to provide (a) self-consistent global predictions of tidal winds, temperatures, and densities; and (b) realistic tidal boundary conditions for the NCAR Thermosphere-Ionosphere General Circulation model to study tidal effects on the dynamics and minor consituent chemistry of the atmospheric region above 100 km. ***