The goal of this project is to investigate how the lower atmosphere affects the ionosphere through dynamical and electrodynamical processes during stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events, when profound changes have been observed from the lower to upper atmosphere. The project involves using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere- Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) and the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere and ionosphere extension (WACCM-X) to address a number of questions: What causes changes to atmospheric solar and lunar tides during a SSW? Are there significant changes of traveling planetary waves during a SSW? What is the impact of rapid wind change during a SSW on gravity wave generation? How does the ionosphere respond to the changes of tides, planetary waves, and gravity waves? How do these effects depend on solar activity? The result of this study will be a better understanding of the cross-region and cross-scale coupling of the lower and upper atmosphere responsible for the SSW effects.
