Two data streams, Fe-Boltzmann lidar temperature data and balloon sounding data are used to characterize the Antarctic atmosphere from 0 - 110 km. The research goals are to develop thermal climatology in the Antarctic during the next three years, to investigate Polar Mesospheric Cloud climatology relative to known Arctic conditions, and to investigate gravity wave behavior in the Antarctic mesosphere. Inter-comparisons of data from Rothera Antarctica (67.5o S) are compared with and integrated with other Antarctic stations and with the TIMED satellite to develop a global description of the polar mesosphere for model constraint. The lidar and balloon programs are logistically and financially supported through an international collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey.
