Middle atmosphere (15-100 km) coupling processes: radar observations and collaborations using networks, CANDAC-PEARL laboratory, satellites, and general circulation models

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Our focus is on dominant atmospheric phenomena that require extreme combinations of solar radiation, chemistry and especially dynamics: winds and waves. Objectives include understanding "stratospheric sudden winter warmings", when Canadian latitudes above tropopause heights (~15km) are dominated by winds typical of summer months, and chemical distributions are significantly changed; the cold summer middle atmosphere above 60km, at mid-high latitudes, when despite continuous solar heating the atmosphere is so cold that noctilucent clouds form; major oscillations eg. Quasi-Biennial and Arctic, which produce regional changes in weather, but also global changes throughout the atmosphere (up to 100km); and variations in the winter/spring polar vortex (15-100km), which modify the global distributions and 'holes' of ozone. All latitudes including the tropics must be studied due to global coupling. Our approach is to study the waves that are dominant in the above phenomena: tides (driven by solar heating of water vapor and ozone), planetary waves and gravity waves (related to and sourced in weather systems). Observationally we use Medium Frequency Radars to measure the winds (60-100km), including our UofS systems (Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies) at Saskatoon 52N, Eureka 80N, Tromso 70N (Norway), & Platteville 40N (Colorado); global networks of radars and optical devices operated by international colleagues, with whom I establish collaborations; data from Canadian and International 'satellite systems'; and collaborations using major global atmospheric models.