News
Vortex Strength Impacts Thermospheric Composition
Greer, Goncharenko, Harvey, & Pedatella published a paper in 2023 examining the impact of polar vortex strength on thermospheric composition and density of the ionosphere. They found that a strong vortex is associated with elevated O/N2 in the thermosphere and increased ionospheric electron density. This relationship is dependent on longitude sector an local time. See […]
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New MEPED Electron Dataset
The work presented here introduces a new data set for inclusion of energetic electron precipitation (EEP) in climate model simulations and comparisons with instruments measuring electron flux. Measurements made by the medium energy proton and electron detector (MEPED) instruments onboard both the Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites and the European Space Agency Meteorological Operational satellites are […]
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Improving ionospheric
predictability requires accurate
simulation of the mesospheric
polar vortex
The mesospheric polar vortex plays a critical role in coupling the atmosphere-ionosphere system, so its accurate simulation is imperative for robust predictions of the thermosphere and ionosphere. While the stratospheric polar vortex is widely understood and characterized, the mesospheric polar vortex is much less well-known and observed, a shortcoming that must be addressed to improve […]
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Evaluation of Polar Winter Mesopause Wind in WACCMX+DART
This work evaluates zonal winds in both hemispheres near the polar winter mesopause in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere-ionosphere eXtension combined with data assimilation using the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (WACCMX+DART). https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037063
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The Wave-induced Atmospheric Variability Enterprise (WAVE) was selected as a NASA Phase I DRIVE Center
Cora Randall is the WAVE Principal Investigator, and Lynn Harvey is the Project Manager. Other WAVE Co-Investigators are at NWRA, NRL, NCAR, and NASA GSFC. The WAVE vision is to realize the next generation of innovations in simulating spatial and temporal variability in the ionosphere, thermosphere, and mesosphere. See https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/03/17/new-science-centers-will-explore-complex-relationship-between-earth-and-sun
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