Thermospheric Circulation

Fred L. Whipple writes in his foreword to this book that "not only the meteors but almost all of the phenomena studied in this important volume are interface phenomena, partly or wholly arising from external radiation or particles from space impinging on our own private spaceship, the Earth." The papers included are focused on the physical processes that form the structure of the base of the thermosphere and on the meteor trail radar observational technique for extending synoptic meteorological exploration into the thermospheric region.

Synoptic exploration of the upper atmosphere has proceeded rapidly during the past decade. Two experimental methods are most prominent in this work - the radar tracking of the ionization tracks of meteors and soundings with physical probes carried by high-altitude research rockets. The results obtained from these methods have demonstrated that the upper atmosphere is meteorologically active; the prior assumption was that this region was quiescent and neutral.