CEDAR-TIMED Mesosphere-Lower Thermosphere Measurements during Geomagnetic Storms Planning Workshop

Joseph Salah, MIT Haystack Observatory, jes@haystack.mit.edu
Larisa Goncharenko, MIT Haystack Observatory, lpg@haystack.mit.edu
NIST Auditorium, 1:00-3:00 PM
Wednesday, June 28, 2000

BACKGROUND:

A project has been approved for a coordinated observing program between the NASA TIMED satellite, expected to be launched in the February/March 2001 timeframe, and the NSF CEDAR ground-based instrumentation to investigate and study the effects of geomagnetic storms on the winds and temperatures in the Earth's lower thermosphere (~90-150 km). These effects are not well understood at present due to the scant data base that exists from past measurements in this complex region of the atmosphere where many competing phenomena interact.

The main thrust of our project is to assess geomagnetic storm influences on the lower thermosphere using a carefully coordinated set of ground-based and TIMED satellite observations focused primarily on the 90-150 km altitude region. The ground-based observations are planned at incoherent scatter radar (ISR) facilities which can cover this altitude region, together with the clustered instruments at these facilities and at other supporting sites. General circulation modeling efforts focused on the investigation of these storm effects are an essential component of the project and will serve to enhance our overall understanding of the structure and dynamics of this region of the atmosphere on a global scale.

Our research project team includes members of the ISR and other ground-based facility groups, analysts familiar with the processing of observations from the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, experts from satellite-based systems including TIMED instruments, and thermospheric general circulation modelers. Interested members of the community are invited to participate.

GOALS OF WORKSHOP:

The purpose of the workshop is to kick off this new project and begin the detailed planning for the coordination of the ground-based CEDAR observations using various radar and optical systems with the TIMED satellite measurements during geomagnetic storms. Our preliminary agenda so far includes the following topics:

Overview of the CEDAR-TIMED collaborative project and plans (J. Salah).
TIMED satellite plans for data acquisition and distribution (S. Yee).
Discussion of ISR data reduction, schedule, and data base (L. Goncharenko).
Interactions with other observing networks participating in program (All).
Recent study of thermosphere storm effects observed by WINDII (S. Zhang).
Modeling activities for Sep 25, 1998 storm (I. Muller-Wodarg).
Discussion of previous plans for Sept. and Dec. 2000 campaigns (All).
Campaign planning for 2001 and best approach for data acquisition (All).

Back to CEDAR Agenda 2000