Thermospheric wind data obtained from the Atmosphere Explorer E and Dynamics Explorer 2 satellites have been combined with wind data for the lower and upper thermosphere from ground‐based incoherent scatter radar and Fabry‐Perot optical interferometers to generate a revision (HWM90) of the HWM87 empirical model and extend its applicability to 100 km. Comparison of the various data sets with the aid of the model shows in general remarkable agreement, particularly at mid and low latitudes. The ground‐based data allow modeling of seasonal/diurnal variations, which are most distinct at mid latitudes. While solar activity variations are now included, they are found to be small and not always very clearly delineated by the current data. They are most obvious at the higher latitudes. The model describes the transition from predominately diurnal variations in the upper thermosphere to semidiurnal variations in the lower thermosphere and a transition from summer to winter flow above 140 km to winter to summer flow below. Significant altitude gradients in the wind are found to extend to 300 km at some local times and pose complications for interpretation of Fabry‐Perot observations.
Abstract. We examined solar activity with a large series of geomagnetic data from 1868 to 2009. We have revisited the geomagnetic activity classification scheme of Legrand and Simon (1989) and improve their scheme by lowering the minimum Aa index value for shock and recurrent activity from 40 to 20 nT. This improved scheme allows us to clearly classify about 80 % of the geomagnetic activity in this time period instead of only 60 % for the previous Legrand and Simon classification.
The interrelationship of equatorial and planetary scale ionospheric horizontal currents on quiet days is studied by means of a global ionospheric wind dynamo simulation. This simulation aims at reproducing magnetic and radar data first for a normal quiet day, and then for the strong counterelectrojet event of January 21, 1977, which was previously studied in detail on the basis of coherent backscatter radar data for the Addis-Ababa location. For the reference quiet day (January 27, 1977), the pattern of low and middle latitude currents and electric fields can be roughly reproduced by a combination of the (1,-2) and (2,2) solar tides. Both the Sq current system, and the global electrostatic potential distribution as derived by Richmond et al. [1980] from incoherent scatter data are well simulated. Direct comparison of the computed electric field with the quiet-day averages available for each radar site also show an excellent agreement on the east-west component, but a poorer one on the northsouth component. The counterelectrojet simulation is performed by fitting the H component trace at the magnetic equator and the D trace at midlatitudes. The result appears to give a consistent solution to the problem of the electrical connection between the equatorial counterelectrojet and the planetary dynamo layer. Two horizontal current vortices of opposite directions are found to flow at low latitudes on each side of the noon sector, anticlockwise in the morning and clockwise in the afternoon. They both produce a poleward current flow at low latitudes at noon, a feature that is detected on the magnetic records. The counterelectrojet event is reproduced by a combination of the (2,2) and (2,#) solar tides, assuming that the contribution of the diurnal tide to the altitudeintegrated current flow cancels out. This result is in agreement with a previous simulation study of the counterelectrojet phenomenon. contributed to a better definition of the neutral wind source from localized observations. However, a consistent synoptic picture of these experimental data is still to be made. Most of the Sq current flow appears to originate from the S(1,-2) tide [ Stening, 1969; Tarpley, 1970b; Volland, 1971b], the dynamo effect of which is maximum in the 120-to 200-kin height range during the day [Volland, 1971a; Richmond et al., 1976; Forbes and Lindzen, 1976a]. Semidiurnal tides S(2,2) and S(2,#) also make a substantial contribution to the electric currents and fields [Richmond et al., 1976; Kirchhoff and Carpenter, 1976; Forbes and Lindzen, 1976a,b, 1977; Salah and Evans, 1977; Harper, 1977]. The solar tide S(2,2) produces much more current than the S(2,#) tide, which has a vertical wavelength half as long [Tarpley, 1970b]. Along the magnetic equator, Sq currents usually flow eastward during daytime and are at the origin of the equatorial electrojet [Martyn, 19#8; Chapman, 1951], which can be observed on the ground as a sharp amplification in the daily variation of the magnetic field horizontal component. The daytime reversal of this cu...
We present a study concerning a space weather event on 25–29 August 2018, accounting for its ionospheric and magnetic signatures at low latitudes and midlatitudes. The effects of a storm in several longitudinal sectors (Asia, Africa, America, and the Pacific) have been analyzed using various parameters such as total electron content (TEC), geomagnetic field, and column [O/N2] ratio. Positive ionospheric storms are found in all the longitudinal sectors having its maximum effects in the Asian sector, whereas the negative ionospheric storms have been observed in the summer hemisphere (Northern Hemisphere). A large decrease in [O/N2] ratio in the Northern Hemisphere is a possible cause of the observed negative storm effects. Ionospheric F2 region maximum electron density (NmF2) and TEC have shown a positive correlation during this storm. The study suggests that storm time‐generated wind does not have a uniform planetary extension and mainly affects dayside (America and Pacific) and duskside (Africa) sectors. During the space weather event, we observe an asymmetric variation of the magnetic field as a function of the longitude. On the other hand, the magnetic variations at midlatitudes are found to be symmetric in both hemispheres. A signature of the disturbance dynamo (anti‐Sq circulation) has been observed, mainly at low latitudes. We emphasize that the partial ring current (PRC), estimated by the ASYM‐H magnetic index, must also be taken into account along with the SYM‐H index for a better approximation of ionospheric currents. The study further suggests existence of several electric current cells in the ionosphere, which is consistent with the Blanc‐Richmond model.
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