. Solar Cycle Implications in Nine Years (2010 - 2019) of Polar Mesospheric Clouds over McMurdo, Antarctica

Abstract
The Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMC) measurements can help us understand better how the solar cycle can impact our upper and middle atmosphere. It also provides a tracer to monitor the climate change in this region, and study atmospheric dynamics This project aims to analyze the PMC data collected from an Fe Boltzmann temperature lidar, located at Arrival Heights (77.84S, 166.67E) near McMurdo, Antarctica and operated by the University of Colorado at Boulder. The lidar team has managed to collect data continuously for 9 seasons, beginning in December 2010. These consecutive years of data allows us to register the main characteristics of Polar Mesospheric Clouds, as well as their occurrence in this latitude. The aim of this endeavor is to analyze the data from December 2010 to February 2019. The months registered will include November, December, January, and February. The main aspects to be studied under these conditions include inter-annual, seasonal, diurnal variations to PMC conditions and, afterwards, extrapolate significant behavior. It will try to build upon Chu et al. [2003], [2006], and [2011] to consolidate data and identity some possible Solar Cycle relationship. The long-term goal is to use the PMC data to see if some characteristic patterns match up the solar radiation variations over a solar cycle. The data will encapsulate almost the entirety of a full solar cycle, which usually lasts 11 years. It will be an accurate depiction of the different stages of such cycle which shows a steady increase from a minimum in 2010 to a maximum in 2014 and a consequent decline in sunspot numbers since then. These spots are locations of intense solar activity and emit more radiation than the average Sun’s surface. We are also looking to confirm the relationship established by Chu et al. [2011] and Astarita et al. [2017].