Climate Change in the Upper Atmosphere

该项目将根据对电离层的长期非相干散射雷达观测，探索高层大气的气候变化。这项研究使用了离子温度（Ti）数据，它提供了高层大气热状态的直接测量，因为它非常接近中性热层温度（Tn）从100公里以上的F2峰区域。针对Millstone Hill非相干散射雷达上方350-400公里高度区域的初步研究表明，Ti有明显的下降趋势，这与温室效应的理论计算一致。 该项目将提供电离层从低层（E区）到高层（F区）趋势的高度剖面图，除Millstone Hill雷达外，还将使用另一个中纬度站点（St. Bern）的数据。还将利用高纬度的Sondrestrom和Chatanika/Poker Flat来展示这些趋势的地理范围，并深入了解高层大气中气候变化的起源。

This project will explore climate change in the upper atmosphere, based on long-term incoherent scatter radar (ISR) observations of the ionosphere. This study used ion temperature (Ti) data which gives a direct measurement of the upper atmosphere thermal status since it is very close to the neutral thermosphere temperature (Tn) from 100 km up the F2 peak region. Preliminary studies targeting the altitude region between 350-400 km above the Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar shows a clear decreasing trend in Ti which agrees with theoretical calculations for the greenhouse effect. This project will provide a height profile of the trend from the lower (E-region) to the higher (F-region) part of the ionosphere, and will in addition to the Millstone Hill radar use data from another mid-latitude site (St. Santin). Sondrestrom and Chatanika/Poker Flat, both at high latitudes, will also be utilized to demonstrate the geographic extent of the trends, and to provide insight into the origin of the climate change in the upper atmosphere.