Summary
Gravity waves provide a key mechanism for the vertical transport of energy and momentum from the active near-surface weather to the upper reaches of the neutral and ionised atmosphere. Generation mechanisms vary between storms, fronts, jets and airflow over mountains and the waves manifest themselves at horizontal scales from 10's to 1000s of kilometres and time scales of minutes to many hours. Their breakdown provides the forcing of global circulation patterns but can also trigger a chain of secondary and tertiary waves, projecting their influence to greater heights. Although the key role gravity waves play in the atmospheric momentum budget has been known for some time, many aspects of their sources, propagation and breakdown remain uncharacterised due to the difficulties of exploring them. Atmospheric layers such as the mesosphere and lower thermosphere provide a gravity-wave observation window by virtue of the amplitude the waves achieve there and the presence of ionised or chemical layers whose wave-like perturbations can be sensed with radar or optical techniques. For the last decade, a community of Antarctic and Arctic researchers have collaborated in a continent-wide observation and research effort under the banner of ANGWIN (ANtarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network). With the support of SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) they have sought to enhance our understanding of gravity waves by combining resources, standardizing analysis techniques and sharing data. ANGWIN has achieved much: observational capabilities have been deployed across stations to facilitate comparisons; data has been shared; analysis methods have been improved and standardised; and ECR researchers have been given opportunities to attend conferences and work across ANGWIN institutions. The goals of the SCAR AGATA Scientific Research Program share much with ANGWIN. The enthusiasm of the ANGWIN community to share their resources and continue their endeavours in the context of the larger AGATA program will contribute to the success of AGATA. In this presentation, the role of gravity waves in our atmosphere and the achievements of ANGWIN will be described. The opportunities for future activities within AGATA will be highlighted.