[1] This paper reports on a total electron content space weather study of the nighttime Weddell Sea Anomaly, overlooked by previously published TOPEX/Poseidon climate studies, and of the nighttime ionosphere during the 1996/1997 southern summer. To ascertain the morphology of spatial TEC distribution over the oceans in terms of hourly, geomagnetic, longitudinal and summer-winter variations, the TOPEX TEC, magnetic, and published neutral wind velocity data are utilized. To understand the underlying physical processes, the TEC results are combined with inclination and declination data plus global magnetic field-line maps. To investigate spatial and temporal TEC variations, geographic/magnetic latitudes and local times are computed. As results show, the nighttime Weddell Sea Anomaly is a large ($1,600(°) 2 ; $22 million km 2 estimated for a steady ionosphere) space weather feature. Extending between 200°E and 300°E (geographic), it is an ionization enhancement peaking at 50°S-60°S/250°E-270°E and continuing beyond 66°S. It develops where the spacing between the magnetic field lines is wide/medium, easterly declination is large-medium (20°-50°), and inclination is optimum ($55°S). Its development and hourly variations are closely correlated with wind speed variations. There is a noticeable ($43%) reduction in its average area during the high magnetic activity period investigated. Southern summer nighttime TECs follow closely the variations of declination and field-line configuration and therefore introduce a longitudinal division of four (Indian, western/eastern Pacific, Atlantic). Northern winter nighttime TECs measured over a limited area are rather uniform longitudinally because of the small declination variation. TOPEX maps depict the expected strong asymmetry in TEC distribution about the magnetic dip equator.

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[1] This study utilized the multi-instrument data of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program to investigate the evening/nighttime topside ionosphere during the 1996/1997 southern summer. A series of regional surface maps were constructed and permitted the tracking of the topside ionosphere's plasma density features, plasma composition, thermal structures, and vertical and horizontal plasma flows. These maps tracked a complete nighttime Weddell Sea Anomaly (WSA) and strong horizontal plasma flows that registered the high-conductivity regions of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA). These regions developed over the southeastern Pacific, just equatorward of the WSA, and over the South Atlantic. A heavy-ion stagnation trough developed poleward of the SAMA affected regions. Thus, the trough appeared on the WSA's equatorward side. During periods of increasing magnetic activity, the plasmapause was the WSA's poleward boundary. A statistical study modeled the trough's magnetic activity dependence and revealed a strong east-west hemispherical difference that was due to the SAMA effects. When the AE6 was 0 nT, the trough appeared at (57.49 ± 2.82)°S (geomagnetic) over the southwestern hemisphere. Owing to the SAMA's special electrodynamic effects, the trough developed at lower latitudes, (42.39 ± 3.04)°S, over the southeastern hemisphere. Meanwhile, the plasmapause occurred at $(62.5 ± 4)°S, and the WSA's peak appeared at $(56.2 ± 4)°S. Hence, there was a $20°(lat) separation between the trough and the plasmapause over the southeastern hemisphere. Between 210°E and 330°E (geographic), the WSA filled this gap. With increasing magnetic activity, the trough in the SAMA affected regions moved poleward at a rate of (0.0157 ± 0.004)°S/nT. Elsewhere, it had a (0.0196 ± 0.002)°S/nT equatorward movement.

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