Various types of atmospheric waves, including gravity waves, tides, and planetary waves, transport energy and momentum upwards, coupling lower and middle atmosphere dynamics to the thermosphere and ionosphere. Global modelling studies, supported by ground-based and satellite observations, are necessary to quantify the mechanisms of the forcing from below. Understanding these mechanisms is additionally important for the predictability of ionospheric space weather. This session welcomes contributions from observational and modelling studies of the vertical and latitudinal coupling processes that lead to ionosphere/thermosphere variability due to forcing from the lower atmosphere. Coupling by gravity waves, tides, planetary waves, effects of sudden stratospheric warmings, and connections to ionospheric space weather phenomena are of particular interest.