Simultaneous Two-Station Observation of Polar Cap Thermospheric Winds

Abstract:

Over the years, three different ground based stations inside the northern polar cap observed thermospheric winds, however, they did not overlap with each others. Consequently, the polar cap observations had only one station observation at a time. A single station observation is far from ideal to represent the thermospheric wind in the polar cap. In Nov 2014, for the first time, two Fabry-Perot interferometers started simultaneous observations in the polar cap. The Eureka (80N, 86W) and Resolute (75N, 95W) FPIs made near continuous observation during the winter season of the 2014. The observational results from these two instruments are compared. NCAR TIEGCM simulations with different polar cap ion convection drivers are used to examine the similarities and differences between the two stations. The results can provide more insight of the polar cap thermospheric dynamics and better interpretation of historical data for long-term trend studies.