The National Science Foundation awarded a $170,642 Project Grant under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to the Regents of the University of Colorado, Boulder to conduct collaborative research on the four-dimensional impacts of strong polar vortices on the thermosphere-ionosphere system. The research seeks to investigate how the state of the polar vortex affects thermospheric neutral winds, composition, and the ionosphere at northern midlatitudes. The team will leverage observations from Fabry-Perot interferometers, GNSS TEC, incoherent scatter radars, ionosondes, and satellite data, as well as whole atmosphere modeling, to better understand the mechanisms driving ionospheric changes during strong polar vortex events. The award supports early-career scientists and female researchers, and includes plans to train a high-school student and undergraduates through research experiences. The project period runs from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2027.
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