Long-Term Wind and Temperature Measurements in the Arctic Mesosphere and Lower-Thermosphere

该研究项目将对大气的中间层和低层热层进行长期的温度变化观测。气温将由北极四个地点的流星雷达进行的风和光学测量来确定：巴罗，阿拉斯加，康克鲁斯瓦格，格陵兰，以及俄罗斯的迪克森和海斯群岛。测量计划的时间安排是为了利用美国宇航局的卫星测量计划，该计划将集中在大气的同一部分。由于温室气体的引入影响大气温度，长期测量将受到人为和自然温度变化的影响。研究人员将尝试分离这两个信号，并利用二氧化碳进入大气引起的温度变化来提供温室气体正在影响大气温度的警告。观测到的温度变化将用于研究中低层大气的动态耦合以及影响大气热结构变化的物理过程。在北极似乎因气候变暖而发生重大变化之际，长期观测将对了解中低层大气的长期时间尺度演变作出重要贡献。

This research project will conduct long-term observations of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere of the atmosphere for changes in temperature. The temperature will be determined from wind and optical measurements taken with meteor radars at four sites in the Arctic: Barrow, Alaska, Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and Dixon and Heiss Islands, Russia. The measurement program is timed to take advantage of a NASA satellite measurement program that will focus on the same part of the atmosphere. Because the introduction of greenhouse gases influences atmospheric temperature, the long-term measurements will be affected by anthropogenic as well as natural changes in temperature. The researchers will attempt to separate the two signals and use temperature changes caused by introduction of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to provide a warning that greenhouse gases are affecting atmospheric temperature. Observed temperature changes will be used to examine the dynamic coupling of the middle and lower atmospheres as well as the physical processes that affect changes in the thermal structure of the atmosphere. The long-term observations will be an important contribution to understanding of the long time-scale evolution of the middle/lower atmosphere at a time when the Arctic appears to be undergoing major changes in response to a climatic warming.