2024 Workshop: Atmosphere-Space Coupling

In the last two decades, lidar observations have evolved from being limited to relatively narrow altitude ranges (up to ~110 km) to the significantly extended altitude ranges of neutral profiling from near the ground up to ~200 km and ion detection up to ~300 km in altitudes. Lidar observations have led to numerous discoveries such as the thermosphere-ionosphere metal layers, secondary gravity wave generation, and upward sensible heat fluxes in the lower thermosphere, etc. Furthermore, a Helium lidar has demonstrated He measurements to about 700 km. These recent results demonstrate the huge potentials that lidars and their future generations will bring to the atmosphere-space physics, composition, chemistry, and dynamics. Coordinating development of lidar, radar, and other instruments as well as strategical deployment of these instruments will enable cutting-edge science and provide fuel to discovery science in the next decades.

An NSF supported "GEOSCOPR" (Geospace Exploration and Observation with Scientific COllaboration in Polar Regions, towards IPY 2032) workshop was held in October 2023, to assess the vitality of our scientific community, identify important scientific priorities, and begin to organize and plan for the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY) 2032 with a particular emphasis on Antarctic polar research program. Recognizing the increasing challenge to undertake Antarctic research supported by the U. S. Antarctic Program, a major focus of the workshop was to engage other scientific communities and international colleagues to find common areas of interest that could lead to efficiencies and mutual benefit through collaboration.

This CEDAR workshop solicits presentations focusing on the recent progress in space-atmosphere coupling studies as well as discussions on the future vision on how to develop observational and instrumentation strategies to advance space-atmosphere physics. Topics include, but are not limited to, electrodynamics and neutral dynamics that help interpret the neutral and ionic metal species and their transport in the D, E, and F regions, observations and modeling of constituents, thermal structures, neutral tidal winds and gravity waves, and ionospheric-magnetospheric observations (such as TIDs, airglow emission, and sporadic E layers, etc.). We also welcome numerical modeling and theoretical studies that can help interpret observations and understand the underlying space-atmosphere coupling.