Measurements of neutral composition and temperature aboard the near equatorial AE-E satellite are analyzed to determine the semidiurnal and terdiurnal variations from 145 to 295 km. The amplitudes and phases of the semidiurnal variation are approximately the same for N2, O, He, and Ar at the lowest altitude, and the amplitude increases with decreasing altitude. Except for He, the phase undergoes a 180 ¿ shift around 200 km. The behavior of the terdiurnal variation is in many respects similar to the behavior of the semidiurnal variation. These characteristics suggest that the semidiurnal tide and (to a lesser extent) the terdiurnal tide have an orign primarily in the lower thermosphere or below.