Collaborative Research: CEDAR--Exploring the Response of the Magnetosphere to Terrestrial Weather

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The extent to which terrestrial meteorology can influence the Mesosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere system (MIT, ca. 70-500 km altitudes) across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales is an important discovery of the past two decades. Sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are prominent events that couple dynamical variability in the lower atmosphere with upper atmosphere perturbations. This project will explore novel fundamental connections in the coupled MIT system leveraging the state-of-the-art and fully two-way coupled Multiscale Atmosphere-Geospace Environment (MAGE) model, and ground- (SuperMAG) and space-based (GOES-14 and -15) magnetic field observations. Understanding the sources of ionospheric and magnetospheric variability is a necessary first step in developing predictive capabilities of critical importance to the operation of navigation and communications systems that support our modern society. This research will result in a better understanding of how terrestrial weather interacts with the ionosphere to produce variability in electric fields that redistribute plasma at higher levels in the upper atmosphere. In addition, the research effort will broaden participation by involving and training a UCAR Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS) protégé from the historically underrepresented communities in a multi-year mentoring and career development experience. This collaborative award is aimed at establishing and quantifying the extent to which lower atmospheric forcing can impact the spatial and day-to-day variability of the magnetosphere and explore what coupling mechanisms may be at play. Three science questions will be investigated: 1) To what extent can Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) impact the spatial-temporal variability of the upper ionosphere and magnetosphere? 2) How well does MAGE approximate the SSW-induced variability observed in the magnetosphere? And 3) What roles do large-scale waves play in dynamically coupling this lower atmospheric variability into the magnetosphere? This study will for the first time: (1) establish and quantify the extent to which large-scale lower atmospheric forcing can impact the spatial and temporal variability of the magnetosphere and (2) explore what coupling mechanisms may be at play and elucidate the contribution of lower atmospheric disturbances in coupling terrestrial weather with the entire MIT system, thus addressing outstanding issues of critical importance to both the CEDAR and GEM communities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.