Observing and Understanding the Dynamics of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

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Understanding the Sun/Earth system is important so that future changes to the environment that we live in can be predicted and planned for. My research advances our knowledge of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT, ~50 -150 km), a poorly understood but fascinating region in the Earth's atmosphere. It acts as a buffer between the lower/middle atmosphere (a fluid capable of many types of motion) and the near-Earth Space Environment (an ionized medium whose movement is constrained and directly forced by external influences associated with the Sun). This region absorbs the energy and momentum associated with upward moving waves (tides, gravity waves and planetary waves) forced below and radiates to space much of the Solar energy absorbed at higher altitudes. The details of how this is accomplished are still unclear.