CEDAR: Investigation of Baroclinic Disturbances in the Polar Wintertime Middle Atmosphere

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

The research is to study vertical coupling in the wintertime polar regions between the stratosphere and mesosphere and to investigate the mechanisms leading to significant disturbances of the polar wintertime mesosphere during strong baroclinic conditions in the stratosphere. The project will explore and study these baroclinic structures in detail by utilizing global temperature measurements of the stratosphere and mesosphere from satellite observations combined with extensive ground-based observations. Furthermore, empirical and numerical models will be employed to reproduce the observed phenomena and develop a more complete physical understanding of the vertical coupling, planetary wave activity, and mechanistic processes. The ground-based measurements will include Rayleigh LIDAR measurements from Greenland and hydroxyl temperatures from interferometric measurements in Arctic and Antarctic. In addition to the atmospheric observations, the PIs will combine their observations with atmospheric community models such as the Whole-Atmosphere Climate Community Model (WACCM).