Lower Thermospheric Response to Geophysical Conditions Using GOLD Observations

Molecular oxygen (O2) density profiles from stellar occultations by the Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission have produced an exciting dataset for exploring variations in the lower thermosphere between 130-220 km. These data are available at latitudes between 60° S and 44° N for two longitudes, ~128° W and ~34° E. Previous analysis of these molecular oxygen densities have shown discrepancies from models widely used within the community. Here we examine the implications of O2's response to geophysical conditions to determine the extent of widespread bulk changes to the thermosphere and wave activity.