Where is the MLTI atmospheric region located, and why is it important to study this region?
The MLTI (Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere) region, part of Earth’s upper atmosphere, is located between 60-180 kilometers (approximately 40-110 miles) above Earth’s surface. This region is where the sun’s energy is first deposited into Earth’s environment. The sun’s energy can have profound effects on Earth’s upper atmospheric regions, particularly during the peak of the sun’s 11-year solar cycle when the greatest amounts of its energy are being released. TIMED is focused on understanding and characterizing exactly how the sun interacts with the Earth’s environment. It will allow us to establish the first-ever baseline of the MLTI region against which future studies of changes within this region can be compared and analyzed.
