WHAT IS FACTS?

The project FACTs, “Forcing of the Upper Atmosphere from Coupling of the Troposphere during Extreme Weather Systems,” is a collaborative proposal awarded by the NSF in 2022 (NSF #2221770). FACTs aims to address open questions in aeronomy related to the vertical coupling of the Earth’s ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) system. Specifically, it seeks to explore the energetic waves generated by Extreme Weather Systems (EWS), which produce atmospheric oscillations, to enhance our understanding of how tropospheric forcing influences the ionosphere.

The outcomes of FACTs include acquiring a long-term database, which will be utilized to advance modeling studies and numerical investigations concerning energy transfer, dissipation, and wave characteristics under various scenarios of EWS. Furthermore, the FACTs database intends to enable a better quantification of the EWS tropospheric driver and the atmospheric-ionospheric variability it generates, providing tools to clarify specific physical mechanisms for EWS wave excitation and subsequent propagation related to the observed disturbances in the middle to upper atmosphere. FACTs’ long-term database also has the potential to enhance the accuracy of simulations predicting both local weather and potential adverse effects of climate change.

Dr. Terra leads FACTs, with Dr. Brum as the co-PI. The team comprises researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Penn State. University, neutral and ionized atmosphere experts, and studies involving radio, optical, and satellite data.