Project Title

Simultaneous Na Doppler and Fe Boltzmann LiDAR observations and modeling of the middle and upper atmosphere at McMurdo, Antarctica

Summary

Event Number:
A-123-M
NSF/OPP Award 1443726

Program Manager:
Dr. Robert Moore

ASC POC/Implementer:
John Rand / Richard Dean

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Xinzhao Chu
xinzhao.chu@colorado.edu
University of Colorado Boulder
CIRES
Boulder, Colorado

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station
Research Locations: Antarctica New Zealand Lab C at Arrival Heights

Description

Researchers on this project operate two narrow-band, multi-frequency Doppler LiDARs at McMurdo Station. These LiDARs can make high-resolution observations of winds and temperatures in the middle and upper atmosphere. Simultaneous observations by the two instruments - a sodium (Na) LiDAR and an iron (Fe) Boltzmann LiDAR - provide unprecedented levels of detail to characterize atmospheric conditions. The observations provide critical data to address key science challenges associated with the space-atmosphere interaction region, and in particular in the sparsely observed high-latitude southern hemisphere.

A major observational goal of this LiDAR campaign is to cover at least one solar cycle (11-12 years) in Antarctica, thereby enabling many frontier space-atmosphere science explorations. To this end, the instruments have been hosted by the Antarctica New Zealand (ANZ) program in their Arrival Heights laboratory since late 2010 (and since 2017 in the case of the Na Doppler instrument), and have operated simultaneously year-round, weather permitting. The 2020-21 season will be the 11th season of the LiDAR campaign at Arrival Heights.

Field Season Overview

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-21 field plans for this project are in flux. Under consideration are plans to deploy three participants during the summer, two of which would remain on station during winter 2021. In addition, the two winter 2020 researchers would remain on station for the the bulk of the 2020-21 austral summer season. Should these plans not come to fruition, the equipment will be shut down sometime during the 2021-21 austral summer and there will be no winter 2021 operations.

Deploying Team Members