Waves and coupling in the Earth's upper atmosphere

这项建议支持对中高层大气(50至250公里之间)的物理研究。这些高度围绕着大气层向地球空间过渡的区域。它的特点是从低层大气向上传播到这些高度的大波(潮汐、行星波和重力波)，以及通过太阳风、地球磁场和大气运动之间的相互作用产生的电离层电流系统。确定导致成分和能量通过该区域向上和向下流动的机制对于理解太阳/地球系统是至关重要的。鉴于我们对卫星技术的日益依赖以及人类活动对大气层的组成及其对太阳能量的响应所产生的全球影响，这种理解是至关重要的。*拟议的研究包括三个部分：开发世界级的独特光学仪器来成像风；建立和支持加拿大北极高地探测高层大气动力学的地面仪器并对其观测结果进行分析；分析模型和卫星的全球数据集，以调查中上层大气的动力学。*我们最近使用干涉仪测量气辉自然产生的光的多普勒频移，生成了有史以来第一张95公里高度的风的图像。这项拟议研究的一个组成部分是对这些仪器进行优化和现场测试，然后使用它们远程“看到”风，并调查高层大气中存在的波的特性。*我目前在努纳武特尤里卡的极地环境大气研究实验室(PEAR)有一台风干涉仪和一台全天成像仪，它们在85至100公里的高度提供风和气辉亮度。已经与负责尤里卡和决心湾其他仪器的同事建立了合作关系，这些仪器进行的测量是对这些测量的补充。拟议研究的另一个组成部分是维持和扩大这一网络，并对观测结果进行分析，以便了解这些高度的动态。*为了从全球角度看待过渡区域的物理问题，需要卫星观测和全球大气环流模型的输出。自1990年以来，通过一系列卫星(其中几颗是加拿大的卫星)观测到了这一区域的大气动力学，其中包括1990年至2010年加拿大大气环流模式的S输出。第三个研究部分是利用我们使用这些数据集的经验来描述全球动态并寻找长期的大气趋势**

This proposal supports research into the physics of the middle and upper atmosphere (between 50 and ~250 km). These heights encompass the region where the atmosphere transitions to geospace. It is characterized by large waves (tides, planetary waves and gravity waves) which propagate upward from the lower atmosphere into these heights and ionospheric current systems generated through interactions between the solar wind, Earth's magnetic field and atmospheric motions. Determining the mechanisms which cause the upward and downward flow of constituents and energy through this region is essential to understanding the Sun/Earth system. Given our growing dependence on satellite technologies and the global impact human activities are having on the composition of the atmosphere and its response to the Sun's energy, such an understanding is vital.***The proposed research has three components: the development of world class, unique optical instruments to image winds; the establishment and support of ground-based instruments in the Canadian High Arctic which probe the dynamics of the upper atmosphere and the analysis of their observations; the analysis of global data sets from models and satellites to investigate the dynamics of the middle and upper atmosphere. ***We have recently generated the first images ever of winds at a height of 95 km using interferometers to measure Doppler shifts of naturally occurring light from airglow. One component of the proposed research is to optimize and field test these instruments and then use them to remotely “see” winds and investigate the properties of waves present in the upper atmosphere. ***I currently have a wind interferometer and an all sky imager located at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) at Eureka, Nunavut which provide wind and airglow brightness at heights between 85 and 100 km. Collaborations have been set up with colleagues responsible for other instruments at Eureka and Resolute Bay which take measurements complementing these measurements. Another component of the proposed research is the maintenance and expansion of this network and the analysis of the observations so that the dynamics at these heights becomes known.***For a global perspective on the physics of the transition region, satellite observations and output from global general circulation models are needed. Observations of the dynamics of this region of the atmosphere from a sequence of satellites (several of which are Canadian) have been made since the 1990's Output from a Canadian General Circulation model covering the years from 1990 to 2010 is available. A third research component is to use our experience in working with these data sets to characterize the global dynamics and look for long term atmospheric trends**