Four middle and upper atmosphere lidar groups collaborate to unify the scientific and technological applications of resonant lidar systems now at the University of Illinois, the Alomar Observatory in Norway, and at Colorado State University. The consortium structure coordinates simultaneous performance of the lidar systems and the sharing of existing data, coordinates data taking strategic planning within the upper atmospheric lidar community, facilitates more rapid dissemination of technical lidar advances, and coordinates education, training, and outreach activities. The consortium establishes a Technology Center that focuses on unified establishment of robust and stable lidar operation, the exploration of advanced laser and optical technologies, and the expedition of technology transfer within traditionally isolated and competing lidar groups. The initial goal of the consortium is to make regular nighttime and daytime measurements of temperatures and winds in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere commonplace and consistent at the three primary lidar sites.
Research under this grant supported a wide variety of activities over its 6-year duration. The large majority of our efforts focused on lidar and related measurements of atmospheric structure and motions in the ~80 to 100 km altitude region from the ALOMAR observatory and the associated Andoya Rocket Range on the Lofoten Islands off the NW coast of Norway (69.3oN). Our lidar, which is a pulsed laser operating at a wavelength that stimulates emissions from sodium atoms, allows us to measure line-of-sight winds and temperatures with very high accuracy at these altitudes. Other instrumentation includes two other types of lidars, several radars, airglow cameras, and balloon- and rocket-borne in situ instruments, which together allow us and colleagues to compile very comprehensive descriptions of the atmospheric structure and motions extending from Earth’s surface to above 100 km. Data collected with our lidar and other instruments throughout multiple years have allowed us to significantly advance our understanding of a number of aspects of the large- and small-scale structure of the atmosphere, the various motions that control its structure and variability, their seasonal and interannual variability, and their potential contributions to weather prediction and climate change. Key insights include responses of the upper atmosphere to sudden stratospheric warmings and specific wave sources in the lower atmosphere, the influences of inter-hemispheric connections on polar dynamics at high altitudes, and the dynamics occurring at smaller spatial and temporal scales that play very significant roles in weather and climate predictability. We expect that these results will contribute to improved weather and climate prediction capabilities as this knowledge is included in new descriptions of these processes in these prediction models. Our research has contributed significantly to training of graduate students and young scientists, both in the U.S. and abroad, and to strong collaborations between U.S. and international research and educational institutions and individual scientists. It has also advanced laser technologies of benefit to our own research, to others in our field, and to other areas employing similar laser technologies for other applications. Our research has resulted in a large number of publications in scientific journals that make these results available to the scientific community and the general public.
