Southern Hemisphere Mid-Latitude Neutral Mesospheric and Thermospheric Dynamics and Thermodynamics

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Dynamics and thermodynamics of the upper atmospheric regions including mesosphere and thermosphere must be studied on a global scale because of the central importance of horizontal transport, planetary-scale waves, and coupling of these regions. Most investigations of these regions have been in the northern hemisphere, while those in the southern hemisphere have been made in Antarctica and at low midlatitudes in Australia and New Zealand. This grant will support U.S. involvement in operating an optical high-resolution spectrometer at the University of Canterbury's Mount John Astronomical Observatory. The PI will expand upon optical investigations of the simultaneous dynamics of the southern hemisphere mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT)'s motions and temperature. He will re-investigate the climatology of these motions, along with kinetic temperature at those heights.