Tracing patterns in the Antarctic sky

Research output: Contribution to specialist publicationArticle

Abstract

The mesosphere, a deep layer of rarefied atmosphere, is home to giant atmospheric waves and tides, meteors and their smoky debris, ghostly noctilucent clouds and a unique pole-to-pole atmospheric circulation. A new meteor radar at the British Antarctic Survey's (BAS) Rothera research station in the Antarctic has been installed to study the mesosphere at its key polar latitudes. The radar, a collection of six stick-like antennas up to about four meters tall, works by detecting free electrons in the charged trails left by meteors in the mesosphere. The preliminary results have revealed details of the Antarctic part of the pole-to-pole circulation over Rothera and measured how it changes the atmospheric temperature.

Original languageEnglish
Pages8-9
Number of pages2
No.AUTUMN 2006
Specialist publicationPlanet Earth - Natural Environment Research Council
PublisherNatural Environment Research Council
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

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