The influence of dynamics on airglow and constituents in the terrestrial mesopause region

In the terrestrial atmosphere, the mesopause region (~90 km height) is a transition region between the inviscid lower/middle atmosphere and the geomagnetically forced geospace. It is a region of strong dynamical forcing and where several constituents vary strongly with height one of which is atomic oxygen. Airglow, which is the result of naturally occurring chemiluminescence in the mesopause region involving exothermic reactions associated with atomic oxygen is one natural phenomenon which occurs at these heights. Dynamical processes (waves, large scale flows) which cause variations in temperature and advect chemical species, modulate the airglow, thereby making its observation a valuable means to observe the dynamics of this region. In this talk, an overview of dynamical processes in the terrestrial middle/upper atmosphere will be provided followed by a description of the nature and mechanism of their influence on airglow and constituents and an overview of the consequences of these interactions.

Fecha: 
15/06/2015 - 14:30
Conferenciante: 
Prof. William Ward
Filiación: 
University of New Brunswick, Canada


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