To: 	MLTCS Colleagues

From:	Alan Manson

Topic:	Spring 1996 Newsletter

Preamble.

We now move into the last two years of MLTCS-STEP (1996-97), and we can expect useful collaborations as we complete those and begin Post-STEP activities. The later will include S-RAMP (see our Aug 1995 Newsletter), PSMOS (you received memos/the early proposal on that), EATVIP, and MFR networking.

Let me encourage you all to join with these new activities as you are able. In particular Gordon Shepherd would like to hear from you, if you wish to work with this PSMOS community: it will be a powerful and productive activity. Regarding S-RAMP, I would expect to be in contact with many of you for "campaign" (1991 - 1997) involvement. Certainly this is a time when we can reap the benefits of STEP involvement, and initiate new Post-STEP activity. 

	(http://www.usask.ca/physics/mltcs/    - for earlier newsletters)
	or	
	http://www.usask.ca/physics/isas/

Now other items

I. Leadership.

Jeff Forbes asked for release from MLTCS co-convening due to CEDAR-leadership earlier this year; thanks Jeff for all the help, and fine modelling leadership. Casandra Fesen and Roberta Johnson, who have been providing LTCS - CEDAR leadership, have agreed to act as co-convenors for MLTCS also - thank you both and welcome!

II. Projects for 1996/7

a) Planetary waves
These require continuous radar/optical operation, if 2 - 16d modes are to be studied, and we concentrated on these in 1994/5. (Jeff Forbes encouraged this emphasis.) It seems valuable to continue with this theme; some of the data acquired in 1994 - 97 will be valuable for S-RAMP.

At this time Chris Meek, Ron Clarke and Mark Burrage are active with numbers of "us", so please support their various PW "campaigns".

b) Wind Measurements Workshop (Toronto, May 1996).
This event was well supported and very successful; it must represent the most extensive set of inter-comparisons between GB radar/optical and Satellite - UARS systems ever presented. Although some "puzzles" remain, understanding flowing from the workshop will now allow more collaborations between GB/UARS systems to proceed, using the relative strengths of the various systems. Thanks must go the Gordon Shepherd (UARS) for organizing this event; and to several of the MLTCS - radar/optical groups for participating so effectively.

We expect UARS collaborations to be a major "project" activity in 1996/7.

c) Other
Anyone who has a "dynamical project" of interest, please contact us -- Alan, Casandra or Roberta.

III. Major conferences/meetings

a) SCOSTEP/STEP and COSPAR 1996
These meetings are in July, London and Birmingham, where we expect to meet many of you. There will be S-RAMP (Steering Comittee) and PSMOS (at Birmingham) meetings, as well as several excellent COSPAR sessions/symposia. If there are enough of "us" present, we can have informal "project" meetings on the above eg Planetary waves/UARS collaborations.

b) Uppsala August 1997 - 9th STP Symposium and IAGA.
This is a big one! We [Roberta, Casandra and I] will present a WG review of LTCS/MLTCS activities within STEP. The Symposium, which will provide an overview of all of STEP, should be most valuable. I will be asking for material for my part of the review (the non-CEDAR/LTCS part) later this year (much later!).

There are many excellent IAGA Symposia planned eg Upper atmosphere structure, dynamics and electro dynamics (Manson, Fukao, Shepherd, Goldberg, 3 days); Equatorial atmosphere-ionosphere interactions (Fukao et al, 1 day); Gravity wave parameterization in the MA and LT (Fritts, 1 day) etc. Plan to be there.

IV. Campaigns

- Solstices, Equinoxes of 1996/7. Planetary wave hunting, with interest in tidal/GW interactions.

- MLTCS Major (from Int. Geophysical Calendar). 


				Sincerely

					Alan Manson