CEDAR: Secondary Gravity Wave Coupling Dynamics Between the Mid-Latitude Mesosphere and Thermosphere

该项目研究地球中间层和热层之间的动态耦合过程。它将估算中层顶区域发生的重力波破碎过程对热层的动量和能量贡献。具体而言，将研究南半球高层大气中层次级重力波动量/能量输送和耦合过程。该项目继续进行有美国和新西兰科学家参与的国际合作。一名本科生将参与并指导该项目。研究结果将广泛提供给科学界，并向公众传达一般见解。这项工作将利用现有的地面光学成像、分光仪和雷达测量，并结合天基测量，以调查中间层和热层之间二次重力波耦合的发生和特征。该项目将建立在最近的观察山。新西兰约翰天文台的重力波在100公里高度附近的中间层低高度区域破裂产生的二次重力波。新西兰区域是南半球重力波活动的一个已知“热点”，而这一区域在高层大气观测方面是地球仪中代表性不足的一个区域。

This project addresses the dynamic coupling processes between the Earth's mesosphere and thermosphere. It will yield estimates of the momentum and energy contribution by gravity wave breaking processes occurring in the mesopause region to the thermosphere. Specifically, the mesospheric secondary gravity wave momentum/energy transport and coupling processes in the Southern hemisphere's upper atmosphere will be studied. This project continues an international collaboration involving scientists from the United States and New Zealand. An undergraduate student will be involved and mentored during the project. Results will be made widely available to the scientific community and general insights communicated to the public. This work will utilize existing ground-based optical imaging, spectrometer and radar measurements combined with space-based measurements in order to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of secondary gravity wave coupling between the mesosphere and thermosphere. The project will build upon recent observations at Mt. John Observatory, New Zealand of secondary gravity waves generated by gravity waves breaking at a lower altitude region in the mesosphere near 100 km altitude. The New Zealand region is a known "hotspot" of gravity wave activity in the southern hemisphere, a region of the globe under-represented in terms of upper atmospheric observations.