Mesosphere and lower thermosphere wind observations over McMurdo, Antarctica
The University of Colorado's Antarctic meteor radar uses radio reflections from meteor trails to estimate the prevailing mesospheric and lower thermospheric winds over McMurdo Station, Antarctica. These measurements add to the understanding of upper atmospheric dynamics and the space-atmosphere interaction region.
On Feb 19 2018, the team recorded its first confirmed meteor echo on the new radar; the first in a long series of observations enabling scientific study of upper atmospheric dynamics.
In the 2017/2018 summer season, a team of scientists and engineers traveled to McMurdo Station, Antarctica to install a new SKiYMET meteor radar for scientific observation of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere regions of the Earth's atmosphere. The University of Colorado team expresses gratitude and appreciation for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) McMurdo support staff, without whose efforts this endeavor would not have been possible.