Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 140 This version created on 05 October 2006 Local Galactic Structure and Dynamics: M Dwarfs as Tracers of Galactic Populations John Bochanski, University of Washington Suzanne Hawley, University of Washington Jeff Munn, US Naval Observatory Kevin Covey, Center For Astrophysics Andrew West, University of California, Berkeley Lucianne Walkowicz, University of Washington We present Sloan Digital Sky Survey observations of low-mass dwarfs residing in the Southern Galaxy (b ~ -60). This dataset combines medium resolution (R ~ 1,800) spectroscopy, proper motions and five band (ugriz) photometry of over 8,000 K and M dwarfs, offering a powerful tool for exploring the structure and dynamics of the thin and thick disks. We examine the activity (as measured by H alpha luminosity) and kinematic characteristics of these low-mass dwarfs as a function of distance from the Galactic Plane. In addition, we explore the mean structural and kinematic properties of the Galactic thin and thick disk populations. ----------------------------------