Simultaneous Na Doppler and Fe Boltzmann Lidar Observations and Modeling of the Middle and Upper Atmosphere at McMurdo, Antarctica

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This proposal is to deploy a sodium lidar at McMurdo, Antarctica, in addition to the previously installed Fe-Boltzmann lidar also funded by NSF. Like radars, the LIDARs (LIght Detection And Ranging) are the devices that can examine various properties of the upper atmosphere from a large distance and at various altitudes. From a single location, these devices can scan the environments and observe polar atmosphere and ionosphere at the 80-200 km altitude within a wide sector covering thousands of square miles. They monitor an atmospheric chemical composition, temperature and other features, analyze atmospheric gravity waves, and measure vertical winds and interaction between plasma and neutral winds. The lidars also can study features and irregularities of various layers of the atmosphere, and monitor their dynamics. Many scientists are already using the data of the previously installed instrument, and the new lidar will bring another kind of measurements of airglow with high temporal and spatial resolution. Simultaneous monitoring of many atmospheric parameters enriches our understanding of atmospheric dynamics in general and gravity waves, mixing, and vertical transport in the studied region. By fully characterizing vertical constituent transport in the mesopause region caused by gravity waves and turbulence, as well as determining the differential ablation of Na and Fe, will substantially reduce the large uncertainties in current estimates of cosmic dust influx into the Earth's atmosphere. Accurate observation of these essential parameters will provide important data sets of polar atmosphere conditions and dynamics and allow obtaining new crucial information for many scientists and many areas, including weather studies, atmospheric and ionospheric studies, and others. This research effort will continue to develop the NSF-funded instrumentation network to help addressing fundamental questions of the Geospace research that have not yet thoroughly examined.