MALTED: A rocket/radar study of dynamics and turbulence in the equatorial mesopause region

The mesospheric and lower thermospheric equatorial dynamics program (MALTED), conducted from the Alcantara, Brazil rocket site as part of the international Guara rocket campaign to study equatorial dynamics, irregularities, and instabilities, is reported. The MALTED program was concerned with the 16-day modulation of the diurnal tidal amplitude, which shows high extremes during August in the equatorial belt. The interaction of this global phenomenon with locally produced gravity waves and turbulence in the mesopause region is studied in order to gain a better understanding of the dynamic influences on the equatorial middle atmosphere. Four identical payloads designed to investigate small-scale turbulence and irregularities, were coordinated with 20 falling sphere rockets designed to measure meteorological parameters. The prediction and monitoring of global mesospheric effects were obtained through coordination with various ground-based radar observatories. The campaign logistics, the instrumentation, and the preliminary results are described.