# Thermospheric Neutral Wind Measurements and Investigations across the African Region--A Review
## 2 Highlights on Reports of Thermospheric Neutral Wind Measurements across Africa  
This section of the paper provides highlights from the reports which are detailed in subsequent sections of the paper. Additional details and synthesis between the studies are contained in Section 3 (meridional winds), Section 4 (zonal winds), and Section 5 (wind comparisons with the HWM-14 predictions) of the paper. It is also important to highlight here that the general conventions used for the winds are as follows: Positive meridional winds are northwards, while negative ones are southwards (in the northern hemisphere, positive meridional winds are therefore poleward, while negative ones are equatorward. The reverse is the case in the southern hemisphere; positive meridional winds are equatorward, while negative ones are poleward). Positive zonal winds are eastward, while negative ones are westward. One of the earliest reports of thermospheric neutral wind measurements in Africa using the FPI was presented by [PERSON] et al. (1998)[24]. The study presented some nighttime observations of neutral wind measurements made by an FPI installed at Korhogo (Geographic: 9.25\({}^{\circ}\) N, 5.26\({}^{\circ}\) W, Geomagnetic: 2.5\({}^{\circ}\) S). Their study used FPI measurements from November 1994 to March 1995, and the results revealed persistent eastward flows of the zonal winds, and frequent intervals of southward meridional winds, with velocities typically in the range of 50 to 100 m/s. The time resolution of measurements for this FPI is larger (~1 h) than for more recent deployments (<20 min).Therefore, the FPI measurements are relatively fewer per observation night. The authors also reported that the procedure for their measurement was not perfect, as there was a need to update the 'zero-wind velocity' reference, using both zenith wind and a calibration lamp. [PERSON] et al. (2015)[17] presented one of the first results from FPI measurements in the African region made this century. The study presented the climatology of the quiet time thermospheric winds and temperatures estimated from FPI measurements of the 630.0 nm airglow emission for three locations: north-eastern Brazil; USA; and Morocco (the African station; Geographic: 31.2\({}^{\circ}\) N, 7.87\({}^{\circ}\) W; Geomagnetic: 22.84\({}^{\circ}\) N). They discussed the day-to \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Country** & **Location** & **Coordinates** & **References and FPI Data** & **Max** & **Zonal** \\  & & & **Coverage** & **Wind (m/s)** & **Wind (m/s)** \\ \hline Ivory Coast & Korhogo & Geographic: 9.25\({}^{\circ}\) N, 5.26\({}^{\circ}\) W; Geomagnetic: 2.5\({}^{\circ}\) [PERSON] et al. (1998)[24] (November 1994 to March 1995) & 100 & 100 \\  & & & 2.5\({}^{\circ}\) S & Fisher et al. (2015)[17] (November 2013 to December 2014); [PERSON] et al. (2017)[23] (January 2014 to 120) & & \\ Morocco & Oukaimeden & Geographic: 31.2\({}^{\circ}\) N, 7.87\({}^{\circ}\) W; Geomagnetic: 22.84\({}^{\circ}\) N & February 2016; [PERSON] et al. (2018)[25] (24 February to 1 March 2014); & 120 & 100 \\ Ethiopia & Bahir Dar & Geographic: 11.6\({}^{\circ}\) N, 37.4\({}^{\circ}\) E; Geomagnetic: 3.7\({}^{\circ}\) N & [PERSON] et al. (2017)[27] (November 2015 to April 2016) & 100 & 90 \\  & & & & & \\ Nigeria & Environment & Geographic: 8.99\({}^{\circ}\) N, 7.39\({}^{\circ}\) E; Geomagnetic: 1.60\({}^{\circ}\) [PERSON] & [PERSON] et al. (2021)[7] & 95 & 160 \\  & South African & Astronomical & Geographic: 32.2\({}^{\circ}\) S, 20.48\({}^{\circ}\) E; Geomagnetic: 40.7\({}^{\circ}\) [PERSON] & [PERSON] et al. (2022)[13] (February 2018) & 100 & 150 \\  & & & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: List of locations in Africa where FPI studies of thermospheric neutral winds were conducted, and comparisons of maximum thermospheric winds observed. The maximum winds presented are maximum magnitudes, not signed directions.