Southern Hemisphere Mid-Latitude Ground-Based Investigations of the Dynamics and Thermodynamics of the Mesosphere and Thermosphere

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9300274 The study of the dynamics and thermodynamics of the upper atmospheric regions including the mesosphere and the thermosphere must be done on a global scale because of the central importance of horizontal transport and coupling of the dynamics and thermodynamics of these regions. Most of the investigations of these regions of the upper atmosphere have been made in the Northern Hemisphere while investigations in the Southern Hemisphere are most recent. Because of the geographical constraints, the studies of the austral upper atmosphere necessitate international cooperation. This proposal specifically requests support for the operation of an optical high-resolution spectrometer at the University of Canterbury's Mount John Astronomical Observatory (45oS, South Island, New Zealand) in conjunction with the University of Canterbury's mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MALT) partial- reflection radar located nearby. This station is part of a Southern Hemisphere collaborative international program to investigate the austral upper atmosphere, and includes optical and radar stations in New Zealand (Mount John and Birdlings Flat), Australia (Beveridge and Adelaide) and Antarctica (South Pole, Scott Base, Mawson and Halley Bay). Mount John, operated by the Universities of Canterbury, Washington and Alaska under the US/NZ Cooperative Science Program auspices, is strategically located to study the upper atmosphere dynamics and thermodynamics of the transition region between mid and high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. The observations obtained will be interpreted with the aid from simulations provided from the time-dependent NCAR coupled thermosphere and ionosphere global circulation model (TIGCM). ***