The equatorial zonal electric field responses to prompt penetration of eastward convection electric fields (PPEF) were compared at closely spaced longitudinal intervals at dusk to premidnight sectors during the intense geomagnetic storm of 17 March 2015. At dusk sector (Indian longitudes), a rapid uplift of equatorial F layer to >550 km and development of intense equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) were observed. These EPBs were found to extend up to 27.13°N and 25.98°S magnetic dip latitudes indicating their altitude development to ~1670 km at apex. In contrast, at few degrees east in the premidnight sector (Thailand‐Indonesian longitudes), no significant height rise and/or EPB activity has been observed. The eastward electric field perturbations due to PPEF are greatly dominated at dusk sector despite the existence of background westward ionospheric disturbance dynamo (IDD) fields, whereas they were mostly counter balanced by the IDD fields in the premidnight sector. In situ observations from SWARM‐A and SWARM‐C and Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System satellites detected a large plasma density depletion near Indian equatorial region due to large electrodynamic uplift of F layer to higher than satellite altitudes. Further, this large uplift is found to confine to a narrow longitudinal sector centered on sunset terminator. This study brings out the significantly enhanced equatorial zonal electric field in response to PPEF that is uniquely confined to dusk sector. The responsible mechanisms are discussed in terms of unique electrodynamic conditions prevailing at dusk sector in the presence of convection electric fields associated with the onset of a substorm under southward interplanetary magnetic field Bz.

Using the 47 MHz Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR) at Kototabang, Indonesia, the nocturnal evolution of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) was examined during the moderate solar activity years 2011–2012. While the evolution of EPBs was mostly (86%) confined to post sunset hours (1900–2100 LT) during equinoxes, in contrast, the majority of EPBs (~71%) in June solstice found evolve around the midnight hours (2200–0300 LT). The mechanisms behind the fresh evolution of summer time midnight EPBs were investigated, for the first time, through SAMI2 model simulations with a realistic input of background ExB drift variation derived from CINDI IVM on board C/NOFS satellite. The term‐by‐term analysis of linear growth rate of RT instability indicates that the formation of high flux tube electron content height gradient (KF) (steep vertical gradient) region at higher altitudes is the key factor for the enhanced growth rate of RT instability. The responsible factors are discussed in light of relatively weak westward zonal electric field in the presence of equatorward neutral wind and bottomside recombination around the midnight hours of June solstice. The effects of neutral winds and weak westward electric fields on the uplift of equatorial F layer were examined separately using controlled SAMI2 simulations. The results indicate that relatively larger linear growth rate is more likely to occur around midnight during June solstice because of relatively weak westward electric field than other local times in the presence of equatorward meridional wind.

Using the fan sector backscatter maps of 47 MHz Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR) at Kototabang (0.2°S geographic latitude, 100.3°E geographic longitude, and 10.4°S geomagnetic latitude), Indonesia, the spatial and temporal evolution of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) were examined to classify the evolutionary-type EPBs from those which formed elsewhere and drifted into the field of view of radar. A total of 535 EPBs were observed during the low to moderate solar activity years 2010-2012, out of which about 210 (~39%) are of evolving type and the remaining 325 (~61%) are drifting-in EPBs. In general, both the evolving-type and drifting-in EPBs exhibit predominance during the postsunset hours of equinoxes and December solstices. Interestingly, a large number of EPBs were found to develop even a few minutes prior to the apex sunset during equinoxes. Further, the occurrence of evolving-type EPBs exhibits a clear secondary peak around midnight (2300-0100 LT), primarily, due to higher rate of occurrence during the postmidnight hours of June solstices. A significant number (~33%) of postmidnight EPBs generated during June solstices did not exhibited any clear zonal drift, while about 14% of EPBs drifted westward. Also, the westward drifting EPBs are confined only to June solstices. The responsible mechanisms for the genesis of fresh EPBs during postmidnight hours were discussed in light of equatorward meridional winds in the presence of weak westward electric fields.

The unusual evolution of fresh and intense field‐aligned irregularities (FAI) near sunrise terminator which further sustained for more than 90 min of postsunrise period was observed by Equatorial Atmosphere Radar at Kototabang during a minor geomagnetic storm period. These FAI echoes were initially observed around 250–350 km altitudes, growing upward under eastward polarization electric fields indicating the plasma bubbles that are fully depleted along the flux tube. The background low‐latitude F layer dynamics that lead to the development of these dawn time FAI have been investigated from two ionosondes at near magnetic conjugate low‐latitude locations. A minor geomagnetic storm was in progress which did not appear to cause any large electric field perturbations at preceding postsunset to midnight period over Indonesian sector. However, the prompt penetration of overshielding electric fields associated with sudden northward turning of interplanetary magnetic field Bz caused spectacular ascent of F layer and development of fresh, intense, and upward evolutionary plasma bubbles near sunrise terminator.

An Ionospheric Observation Network for Irregularity and Scintillation in East/Southeast Asia was recently deployed. Using ionospheric total electron content (TEC) from the two crossed Beidou geostationary satellite receiver chains of the network along 110°E and 23°N and Doppler velocity measurements from the Sanya (18.3°N, 109.6°E) portable digital ionosonde, we report first observations of low latitude TEC oscillations synchronized over a wide longitude range in East/Southeast Asia, which occur at nighttime, after the main phase of the geomagnetic storm on 20 April 2018. A comparison among TEC and Doppler velocity and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz component shows that the periodic TEC enhancements correlate with F region downward plasma drifts and IMF Bz southward turnings. The results suggest that the quasiperiodic southward turnings of IMF Bz could produce multiple short‐lived westward prompt penetration electric fields, which contribute to driving the nighttime low latitude TEC oscillations simultaneously over the wide longitude range.