Collaborative Research: Dynamics in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere over the Andes Lidar Observatory

这是一项为期5年的科学合作，旨在研究智利北部安第斯山脉上空的中间层和低层热层（MLT）的动力学。目的是表征和理解80至100公里区域的波现象，包括背景态的相互作用和影响。调查将在智利Cerro Pachón（30.3°S, 70.7°W, 2530 m）新建的安第斯激光雷达观测站（ALO）进行。这个位置对波浪研究非常重要，因为它是一个地形陡峭、波浪产生丰富的地区，由于该地区极度干燥和相对缺乏对流，它产生了特别纯粹的地形产生波的例子，它为南半球亚热带地区提供了数据，该地区目前在行星波、潮汐和重力波方面的特征很差。该天文台的整套仪器包括Na风/温度激光雷达、全天空成像仪、多通道光度计、中间层温度成像仪、红外相机和流星雷达，将用于在大范围的空间和时间尺度上观测波和波现象。该项目旨在提供迄今为止南半球山区最详细的研究，研究不稳定性、重力波、潮汐、行星波和平均风的特征和变化以及它们在连续5年期间的相互作用。将解决的具体问题包括：1)安第斯山脉上的波浪气候学和波浪相关现象是什么？2) ALO不稳定性的起源、生命周期和形态是什么？3)什么大气条件导致各种波浪现象的形成？4)潮汐、行星波和重力波相互作用的特征及其对MLT变率的影响？该项目将为所有三所大学的学生提供新的教育和培训机会。在该项目下，还将与阿根廷大学和澳大利亚阿德莱德大学开展国际合作，并加强学生的参与。在该项目中收集的独特数据集将提供给科学界，并将支持在大气科学和天文学中广泛的科学主题的研究。

This is a 5-year scientific collaboration to investigate the dynamics in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) over the Andes Mountains in northern Chile. The objective is to characterize and understand wave phenomenology in the 80 to 100 km region, including background state interactions and effects. The investigation will be carried out at the newly established Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO) at Cerro Pachón (30.3°S, 70.7°W, 2530 m), Chile. This location is uniquely important for wave studies because it is a region of steep terrain and prolific wave generation that produces particularly pure examples of terrain generated waves due to the extreme dryness of the area and relative lack of convection, and it provides data for a region, the subtropical Southern Hemisphere, that currently is poorly characterized in terms of planetary waves, tides and gravity waves. The suite of instruments at ALO comprises a Na wind/temperature lidar, an all sky imager, a multichannel photometer, a mesospheric temperature mapper, an infrared camera, and a meteor radar, which will be used to observe waves and wave phenomena over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. The project aims to provide the most detailed study to date from a Southern Hemisphere mountainous site of the characteristics and variability of instabilities, gravity waves, tides, planetary waves and mean winds and their interactions over a continuous 5-year period. Specific questions that will be addressed include: 1) What is the climatology of waves and wave related phenomenology over the Andes?2) What are the origins, lifecycle and morphology of instabilities at ALO?3) What atmospheric conditions lead to the formation of various wave phenomena?4) What are the characteristics of the interactions between tides, planetary waves and gravity waves and their effects on the MLT variability? The project will provide new education and training opportunities for students at all three universities involved. International collaborations with strong student involvement will also be pursued under this project with the Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina and the University of Adelaide, Australia. The unique dataset collected during this project will be made available to the scientific community and will support research on a wide range of scientific topics in both atmospheric science and astronomy.