Kühlungsborn, 10.11.206 - The mesosphere and lower thermosphere form an important transitional region between the lower atmosphere and near-Earth space. Waves propagating upwards from lower layers transport energy and momentum, thereby influencing large-scale circulation. These processes were the focus of the doctoral thesis ‘Planetary-Scale Dynamics and Wave-Driven Variability in the Low-Latitude Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere’.

Jose Suclupe’s work combines meteorological radar and satellite measurements with model and reanalysis data. Observations made over several years at Jicamarca in Peru have provided an overview of wind conditions and atmospheric tides. This revealed that the model simulation under investigation underestimates the tidal amplitudes by about half. A newly developed method also captured longer-term changes in the tides, which are linked to planetary waves and tropical fluctuations on timescales ranging from days to several weeks.

Another key focus was the investigation of an exceptionally strong westward phase in the mesosphere in March 2023. This was part of the semi-annual wind fluctuation observed there and was the strongest of its kind for at least a decade. The results suggest that the event arose from the interaction of several wave processes and large-scale circulation.

The thesis thus provides new observational data and methods for studying the upper atmosphere at low latitudes. At the same time, it demonstrates how exceptional events can help to test and further develop atmospheric models. The PhD was supervised by Prof. Jorge L. Chau, Head of the Radar Remote Sensing Department at the IAP.

We sincerely congratulate Mr Suclupe on the successful defence of his thesis and wish him all the best for the future!