Project Title

Investigating Wave-Driven Mesospheric Dynamics over South Pole Using an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper

Summary

Event Number:
A-119-M/P/S
NSF/OPP Award 1443730

Program Manager:
Dr. Robert Moore

ASC POC/Implementer:
John Rand / Paul Sullivan / Sheryl Seagraves

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Michael J Taylor
mike.taylor@usu.edu
Utah State University
Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences
Logan, Utah

Project Web Site:
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ail/

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station, Palmer Station, South Pole Station
Research Locations: B2 Mezzanine

Description

The Antarctic Gravity Wave Imaging Network (ANGWIN) is a cooperative effort between six international Antarctic programs to collect continent-wide gravity wave measurements. This network capitalizes on existing optical and radar measurement capabilities at McMurdo, South Pole, and six other research stations: Halley (UK), Syowa (Japan), Davis (Australia), Rothera (UK), and Ferraz (Brazil). Infrared (IR) all-sky mesospheric hydroxyl (OH) imagers are installed at Davis, McMurdo, and Halley stations. The network quantifies the properties, variability, and momentum fluxes of short-period mesospheric gravity waves and their dominant sources and effects over the Antarctic continent. Measurements at South Pole focus on quantifying the temperature signatures of gravity waves deep within the polar vortex and complementing the ANGWIN sites around the continent.

Field Season Overview

The instruments for this project, an all-sky airglow imager and an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM), are located on the B2 mezzanine at South Pole Station. They run continuously during the dark periods of winter, essentially autonomously, with only limited intervention required by personnel onsite and by the science party via the internet. Due to COVID-19, no participants will deploy to service the equipment this season. An onsite Research Associate will put the instruments into operation during the winter months, take them out of operation in the spring, and provide monitoring, troubleshooting, and the collection and forwarding of data as needed throughout the year.