| Session Details | |
| Section | AS - Atmospheric Sciences |
| Session Title | Passive and Active Remote Sensing of the Chemistry and Dynamics of the Middle and Upper Atmosphere |
| Main Convener | Prof. Patrick Espy (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway) |
| Co-convener(s) | Prof. Iain Reid (ATRAD Pty Ltd, Australia) Dr. Jeng-Hwa Yee (Johns Hopkins University, United States) |
| Session Description | The Earth's atmosphere above the stratopause (~50 km) maintains a balance between solar radiative and particle forcing from above, and the action of atmospheric waves rising up from below. Quantifying how these forces drive the general circulation of the atmosphere and control the chemical balance and its temporal and spatial variability is crucial to understanding how composition, momentum, and energy couple vertically and horizontally in the atmosphere. However, this region cannot be directly accessed by balloons and satellites, and sporadic rocket observations are typically limited to altitudes above 100 km where vehicle interaction effects subside. Thus passive and active remote sensing are the primary tools to understand the aeronomy of this region. This session will look at recent results from ground-based and satellite-borne observations, and the impact of their integrated results on our understanding of this region. These observations include, but are not limited to airglow, microwave, lidar, radar, and in-situ sampling of the chemistry and dynamics of the atmosphere. It will also include laboratory or modelling studies that complement these observations. |