On the dynamics and composition of the high-latitude thermosphere

An overview is presented of some of the more recent progress made in the study of the dynamics and composition of the high-latitude thermosphere at the University of Michigan, with emphasis on the interpretation of experimental measurements made from the DE-2 spacecraft and from ground-based observatories in Greenland. Attention is focused on perturbations to the solar-driven upper thermospheric winds, temperatures, and compositional structures due to forcing associated with high-latitude ionosphere-thermosphere coupling processes. The nature of the experimental measurements made on DE-2 is discussed. The vector spherical harmonic model, some sample results, and experiment-model comparisons are described using both satellite and ground-based measurements of high-latitude thermosphere dynamics. Considerations pertaining to compositional perturbations at high latitudes are presented.