MAUI/MALT: Lidar Studies of Middle Atmosphere Composition, Structure, and Dynamics

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The investigators will study middle atmosphere composition, structure and dynamics using sodium lidar measurements. There are two parts to the proposed effort: 1) analysis and interpretation of the wind, temperature, and sodium density data obtained at the Starfire Optical Range in New Mexico between 1998 and 2000, and 2) the study of thermal tides and gravity wave momentum, heat, and constituent transport using observations made by a sodium lidar at the Maui Space Surveillance Site (MSSS) beginning in January 2000. The Starfire data will be used to characterize the seasonal variations in wave activity and momentum, heat, and constituent fluxes in the mesopause region at a mid-latitude continental site. A similar set of observations will also be collected at the Maui facility, a low-latitude, mid-ocean site. These observations are made feasible by using the 3.7-meter steerable telescope at Maui as the lidar receiver. Both nighttime and daytime observations will be conducted to study tidal perturbation of winds and temperature and to study gravity wave transport processes and their seasonal variations. The low-latitude tide and flux observations will be compared to similar mid latitude data from previous measurements made at Starfire and Urbana, Illinois. The study will contribute to knowledge about gravity wave dynamics in the middle atmosphere with application to studies of global change.