Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Different‐Scale Ionospheric Irregularities in Central and East Siberia During the 27–28 May 2017 Geomagnetic Storm

We present a multi-instrumental study of ionospheric irregularities of different scales (from tens of centimeters to few kilometers) observed over the Central and East Siberia, Russia, during a moderate-to-strong geomagnetic storm on 27–28 May 2017. From high-frequency (HF) and ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) radar data, we observed an intense auroral backscatter developed right after the initial phase of the geomagnetic storm. Additionally, we examined variations of Global Positioning System (GPS)-based ROT (rate of TEC changes, where TEC is total electron content) for available GPS receivers in the region. Ionosondes, HF, and UHF radar data exhibited a presence of intense multi-scale ionospheric irregularities. We revealed a correlation between different-scale Auroral/Farley-Buneman ionospheric irregularities of the E layer during the geomagnetic storm. The combined analysis showed that an area of intense irregularities is well connected and located slightly equatorward to field-aligned currents (FACs) and auroral oval at different stages of the geomagnetic storm. An increase and equatorward displacement of Region 1 (R1)/Region 2 (R2) FACs leads to appearance and equatorward expansion of ionospheric irregularities. During downward (upward) R1 FAC and upward (downward) R2 FAC, the eastward and upward (westward and downward) E × B drift of ionospheric irregularities occurred. Simultaneous disappearance of UHF/HF auroral backscatter and GPS ROT decrease occurred during a prolonged near noon reversal of R1 and R2 FAC directions that accompanied by R1/R2 FAC degradation and disappearance of high-energy auroral precipitation

Longitudinal variation in the ionosphere-plasmasphere system at the minimum of solar and geomagnetic activity: Investigation of temporal and latitudinal dependences

International audienceWe use the Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Protonosphere (GSM TIP) as the first-principle calculation of the physical system state, the quick-run ionospheric electron density model (NeQuick) as the climatology background, and the International Reference Ionosphere-based Real-Time Assimilative Model for a global view of the ionospheric weather during a quiet period of the December 2009 solstice. The model computations are compared to the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) radio occultation profiles, CHAMP and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment in situ densities, and GPS total electron content (TEC). It is shown that the plasma density in the ionosphere is generally larger in the American/Atlantic longitudinal sector at any local time. The high-latitude density enhancements are visible in the GSM TIP output at different altitudes but are not reproduced by the NeQuick empirical model. Given that observational data confirm an existence of the high-latitude areas where ionospheric densities are elevated in the altitude range between 300 and 480 km, we conclude that the NmF2 maximum in the GSM TIP output can be trusted. Indeed, such high-latitude NmF2, ionospheric electron content, and TEC maxima in the American longitude sector form on the proper places as shown by the GSM TIP data, COSMIC and GPS observations. According to our results, the high-latitude maximum of NmF2 (1) manifests itself only when the integration over LT or UT of the global maps for 22 December 2009 includes nighttime, i.e., supporting an argument of its close association with the Weddell Sea Anomaly, and (2) also appears in the Ne distribution at altitudes above the F2 peak

Ionospheric response to solar and magnetospheric protons during January 15–22, 2005: EAGLE whole atmosphere model results

We present an analysis of the ionosphere and thermosphere response to Solar Proton Events (SPE) and magnetospheric proton precipitation in January 2005, which was carried out using the model of the entire atmosphere EAGLE. The ionization rates for the considered period were acquired from the AIMOS (Atmospheric Ionization Module Osnabrück) dataset. For numerical experiments, we applied only the proton-induced ionization rates of that period, while all the other model input parameters, including the electron precipitations, corresponded to the quiet conditions. In January 2005, two major solar proton events with different energy spectra and proton fluxes occurred on January 17 and January 20. Since two geomagnetic storms and several sub-storms took place during the considered period, not only solar protons but also less energetic magnetospheric protons contributed to the calculated ionization rates. Despite the relative transparency of the thermosphere for high-energy protons, an ionospheric response to the SPE and proton precipitation from the magnetotail was obtained in numerical experiments. In the ionospheric E layer, the maximum increase in the electron concentration is localized at high latitudes, and at heights of the ionospheric F2 layer, the positive perturbations were formed in the near-equatorial region. An analysis of the model-derived results showed that changes in the ionospheric F2 layer were caused by a change in the neutral composition of the thermosphere. We found that in the recovery phase after both solar proton events and the enhancement of magnetospheric proton precipitations associated with geomagnetic disturbances, the TEC and electron density in the F region and in topside ionosphere/plasmasphere increase at low- and mid-latitudes due to an enhancement of atomic oxygen concentration. Our results demonstrate an important role of magnetospheric protons in the formation of negative F-region ionospheric storms. According to our results, the topside ionosphere/plasmasphere and bottom-side ionosphere can react to solar and magnetospheric protons both with the same sign of disturbances or in different way. The same statement is true for TEC and foF2 disturbances. Different disturbances of foF2 and TEC at high and low latitudes can be explained by topside electron temperature disturbances. © 2020 COSPAR.This investigation of ionospheric response to SPE and magnetospheric protons was funded by RFBR according to the research project No. 18-55-52006. TS work on the SPE treatment in the HAMMONIA model and ER analysis of altitude-latitude distribution of the SPE induced ionization rates was supported by Russian Science Foundation (project No. 20-67-46016). The work benefited from the discussions in the framework of the International Space Science Institute teams "Space Weather Induced Direct Ionization Effects on The Ozone Layer" and "Relativistic Electron Precipitation and its Atmospheric Effect."With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation SEV-2017-0709.Peer reviewe

Similarity and differences in morphology and mechanisms of the <i>fo</i>F2 and TEC disturbances during the geomagnetic storms on 26–30 September 2011

This study presents an analysis of the ground-based observations and model simulations of ionospheric electron density disturbances at three longitudinal sectors (eastern European, Siberian and American) during geomagnetic storms that occurred on 26–30 September 2011. We use the Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Protonosphere (GSM TIP) to reveal the main mechanisms influencing the storm-time behavior of the total electron content (TEC) and the ionospheric F2 peak critical frequency (foF2) during different phases of geomagnetic storms. During the storm's main phase the long-lasting positive disturbances in TEC and foF2 at sunlit mid-latitudes are mainly explained by the storm-time equatorward neutral wind. The effects of eastward electric field can only explain the positive ionospheric storm in the first few hours of the initial storm phase. During the main phase the ionosphere was more changeable than the plasmasphere. The positive disturbances in the electron content at the plasmaspheric heights (800–20 000 km) at high latitudes can appear simultaneously with the negative disturbances in TEC and foF2. The daytime positive disturbances in foF2 and TEC occurred at middle and low latitudes and at the Equator due to n(O) ∕ n(N2) enhancement during later stage of the main phase and during the recovery phase of the geomagnetic storm. The plasma tube diffusional depletion and negative disturbances in electron and neutral temperature were the main formation mechanisms of the simultaneous formation of the positive disturbances in foF2 and negative disturbances in TEC at low latitudes during the storm's recovery phase

Ionospheric Effects of the Sudden Stratospheric Warming in 2009: Results of Simulation with the First Version of the EAGLE Model

In this paper, we discuss perturbations in neutral temperature, total electron content (TEC), and critical frequency of the maximum of the F2 layer (foF2) during the sudden stratospheric warming in January 2009. The calculations were performed using the first version of the EAGLE (Entire Atmosphere Global Model), which is a combination of the models of the low–middle atmosphere (HAMMONIA) and the upper atmosphere (GSM TIP). The EAGLE reproduces observed stratospheric warming and related mesospheric cooling in the northern polar cap in January 2009. At thermospheric altitudes, the neutral temperature perturbations have a quasi-wave character with a wavelength of ∼40 km in the vertical direction. Our results indicate that the HAMMONIA model should be used in the EAGLE instead of the GSM TIP model for the neutral temperature calculations in the altitude region from 80 to 120 km. It is shown that the obtained model foF2 and TEC perturbations are mainly related to seasonal variations. The most-pronounced perturbations in the ionospheric electron density due to stratospheric warming are formed near the equator and are basically negative. Our analysis of the neutral temperature and electron density perturbations made it possible to conclude that the dependence of ionospheric parameters on seasonal changes in solar zenith angle is stronger than for the thermosphere parameters. © 2018, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 17-17-01060)

Identification of the mechanisms responsible for anomalies in the tropical lower thermosphere/ionosphere caused by the January 2009 sudden stratospheric warming

We apply the Entire Atmosphere GLobal (EAGLE) model to investigate the upper atmosphere response to the January 2009 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event. The model successfully reproduces neutral temperature and total electron content (TEC) observations. Using both model and observational data, we identify a cooling in the tropical lower thermosphere caused by the SSW. This cooling affects the zonal electric field close to the equator, leading to an enhanced vertical plasma drift. We demonstrate that along with a SSW-related wind disturbance, which is the main source to form a dynamo electric field in the ionosphere, perturbations of the ionospheric conductivity also make a significant contribution to the formation of the electric field response to SSW. The post-sunset TEC enhancement and pre-sunrise electron content reduction are revealed as a response to the 2009 SSW. We show that at post-sunset hours the SSW affects low-latitude TEC via a disturbance of the meridional electric field. We also show that the phase change of the semidiurnal migrating solar tide (SW2) in the neutral wind caused by the 2009 SSW at the altitude of the dynamo electric field generation has a crucial importance for the SW2 phase change in the zonal electric field. Such changes lead to the appearance of anomalous diurnal variability of the equatorial electromagnetic plasma drift and subsequent low-latitudinal TEC disturbances in agreement with available observations. Plain Language Summary – Entire Atmosphere GLobal model (EAGLE) interactively calculates the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and plasmasphere–ionosphere system states and their response to various natural and anthropogenic forcing. In this paper, we study the upper atmosphere response to the major sudden stratospheric warming that occurred in January 2009. Our results agree well with the observed evolution of the neutral temperature in the upper atmosphere and with low-latitude ionospheric disturbances over America. For the first time, we identify an SSW-related cooling in the tropical lower thermosphere that, in turn, could provide additional information for understanding the mechanisms for the generation of electric field disturbances observed at low latitudes. We show that the SSW-related vertical electromagnetic drift due to electric field disturbances is a key mechanism for interpretation of an observed anomalous diurnal development of the equatorial ionization anomaly during the 2009 SSW event. We demonstrate that the link between thermospheric winds and the ionospheric dynamo electric field during the SSW is attained through the modulation of the semidiurnal migrating solar tide