Mentor: Mike Taylor
Upper Atmospheric Imaging Studies
My research group utilizes an array of sensitive digital and video imaging systems for studying a range of upper atmospheric optical phenomena. These include acoustic-gravity waves, polar mesospheric clouds, equatorial ionospheric instabilities, thunderstorm-induced transients called "sprites" and "elves", infrared meteor emissions, and satellite re-entry tracking and disintegration. We operate cameras at a number of sites around the world for long-term measurements of the atmosphere. Our remotely operated cameras in Utah, Chile, South Pole, Antarctica (and soon in northern Norway) are used to study the global variability of atmospheric gravity waves and their dissipation signatures, while other studies such a sprite imaging are usually performed on a campaign basis, most recently from southern Brazil. We are also Co-Investigators on the NASA Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission to study the dynamics of polar mesospheric clouds (NASA Group Achievement Award 2008), which are the highest clouds on Earth at an altitude of 82 km (50 miles). Graduate and undergraduate students are involved in all aspects of these programs, including field measurements, data analysis and presentations at scientific meetings. In particular, undergraduate students participate in regular group meetings where we discuss ongoing research results and they also have the opportunity to participate in the annual CEDAR conference at Boulder, Colorado in June (sponsored by the National Science Foundation). At CEDAR the students participate in seminars, workshops and present posters of their research work to leading scientists in this field and to fellow undergraduate and graduate students.