The University of New Hampshire Meteor Wind Radar system operated between1974 and December 2002 for the purpose of monitoring neutral winds in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere. The radar operation was supported by the Division of Atmospheric Sciences Aeronomy program at the NSF and by the University of NH. These measurements have been used in various single site and global comparisons including programs resulting from the MLT radar group, the CEDAR Lower Thermosphere Coupling Study, the STEP Mesosphere - Lower Thermosphere Coupling Study, tidal and planetary wave studies within the MLT radar group, and tidal comparisons between the Durham Meteor and the Millstone Incoherent Scatter radars.
The meteor radar had the capability to measure winds in the 80 to 110 km height region with time scales from 15 minutes to days and months. Planetary waves have been observed simultaneously at several sites in the US ,Canada, and internationally with periods of 2 to 10 days allowing estimates of wave numbers and modes. Tidal and gravity wave variations were studied for possible geomagnetic storm effects. Results from the Durham - Millstone (IS) comparisons indicate continuity of the semidiurnal tide propagation from the mesosphere into the lower thermosphere but with changes in the propagation parameters as the tide propagates from the lower to the higher regions. Storm effects appear to reach down into the Lower thermosphere but not into the mesosphere. The Durham - Millstone comparisons also indicate small scale (10km) winds with rms values reaching 25 m/s. This long data set is available on the Haystack Madrigal Data base. (See publications under Professor Ronald R. Clark )
For further information contact Prof. Ronald R. Clark or email ron.clark@unh.edu.