Coupling processes int he middle/upper atmospheres of the terrestrial planets

关于我们的大气层的一个重要问题仍然只是部分解决，这就是为什么它每年都保持类似的结构，尽管温度，风，成分分布和大尺度波的形式发生变化。到目前为止，已经作出了很大的努力，成功地确定这些周期的特点。虽然理解这些周期很重要，但理解维持这种准平衡的基本机制也同样重要。有了这些知识，我们可以预测这些大气层在条件变化时（例如由于太阳变化、自然灾害或人为影响）会如何演变。这样的努力不是微不足道的。大气是一个非线性系统，不同高度之间存在非局部辐射联系。要解决这一问题，就必须对大尺度风场、温度场、组分分布以及各尺度波动之间的耦合进行识别和量化。这项提议的目的是探索类地行星-特别是地球和火星-中层和高层大气中的这些耦合机制。该方案涉及开发和完善加拿大开发的一种称为多普勒成像的观测技术，用于测量动力特征（风、温度和成分变化），分析空间和地面观测，开发解释特定过程的模型，分析大气环流模型结果。这项工作强调测量和对观察结果的分析。该观测技术具有作为观测地球、火星或金星大气层动态的卫星仪器的潜力。建模工作将有助于解释观测结果和验证观测到的动力学特征所涉及的物理过程。

One of the significant questions about our atmosphere which remains only partially solved is why it maintains a similar structure year to year in spite of variations in the temperature, winds, constituent distributions and the form of the large scale waves. To date, much effort has been exerted in successfully defining the characteristics of these cycles. While it is important for these cycles to be understood, it is equally important to understand the underlying mechanisms which maintain this quasi-equilibrium. With this knowledge we can predict how these atmospheres might evolve should conditions change (for example due to solar variability, natural disasters or anthropogenic influences). Such an effort is not trivial. The atmosphere is a non-linear system with non-local radiative connections between various heights. The coupling between the large scale wind and temperature fields, contituent distributions and waves of all scales must be indentified and quantified to address this problem. The objective of this proposal is to explore these coupling mechanisms in the middle and upper atmospheres of the terrestrial planets - in particular the Earth and Mars. The program involves the development and refinement of an observation technique developed in Canada called Doppler Imaging for measuring dynamical signatures (wind, temperature and constituent variations), the analysis of space and ground based observations, the development of models to explain particular processes and the analysis of general circulation model results. This effort emphasizes measurements and the analysis of observations. The observation technique has potential as a satellite instrument for observing the dynamics in the atmospheres of the Earth, Mars or Venus. The modelling effort will aid in the interpretation of the observations and the validation of the physical processes involved in the observed dynamical features.