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ICESTAR
Short Title: ICESTAR Project URL: http://scar-icestar.org/ Near-Earth space (geospace) is an integral part of the Earth system, providing the material link between the Sun and Earth, primarily through the polar regions. A goal of the ICESTAR Programme is to create an integrated, quantitative description of the upper atmosphere over Antarctica, and its coupling to the geospace environment. Thematic Action Groups (TAGs) were established to coordinate the scientific activities and objectives proposed: * TAG A: Quantification of the coupling between the polar ionosphere and neutral atmosphere from the "bottom-to-top" and the global electric circuit. *TAG B: Quantification of the inner magnetospheric dynamics using remote sensing techniques. *TAG C: Quantification of the state of the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere over the Antarctic continent and how it differs from the Northern hemisphere during a wide range of geophysical conditions. * TAG C.1: Quantify the atmospheric consequences of the global electric circuit and further understand the electric circuit in the middle atmosphere as guided by the electric fields generated at the solar wind magnetosphere interface. Contact: Nikolai Østgaard (University of Bergen, Norway) *TAG C.2: Quantify the thermal and dynamical structure of the middle and upper atmosphere over the Antarctic continent and how it differs from the Northern hemisphere during a wide range of geophysical conditions. Contact: Scott Palo (University of Colorado, USA). *TAG D: Creation and management of the data portal to enable the ICESTAR programme and SCAR's SSG/PS.