How can GOCE and TerraSAR-X contribute to the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere research?

Zakharenkova, Irina; Cherniak, Iurii

doi:10.1002/2015sw001162

Cited by 28 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…Figures c, f, and i illustrate MTA/MTB passes across this region with topside ROTI values (left) and topside TEC values (right) along this pass. We calculated the absolute values of TEC from up‐looking GPS measurements on board MTA/MTB with proper instrument biases calibration, for more details see Zakharenkova and Cherniak . These values represent direct measurements of TEC at plasmaspheric altitudes, namely within ~835–20,000 km altitudinal range.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the topside ionospheric response to severe geomagnetic storms in terms of up‐looking absolute TEC changes was studied with the use of the GPS POD measurements on board CHAMP mission (e.g., Astafyeva et al, ; Heise et al, ; Jakowski et al, ; Mannucci et al, , ; Tsurutani et al, ; Yizengaw et al, ), COSMIC mission (e.g., Pedatella et al, ), GRACE mission (e.g., Lei et al, ), and Swarm mission (e.g., Astafyeva et al, , ; Zhong et al, ). Zakharenkova and Cherniak () analyzed climatological characteristics of the topside TEC global morphology with the use of the GPS POD measurements from two nonionospheric missions—the GOCE (Gravity Field and Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite with an unprecedented low orbit of 250 km and the imaging radar Earth observation satellite TerraSAR‐X. More recently, a novel and original approach to use spaceborne GPS measurements to detect topside ionospheric irregularities occurrence on a global scale was proposed and tested with CHAMP GPS data in Zakharenkova and Astafyeva ().…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Underutilized Spaceborne GPS Observations for Space Weather Monitoring

Zakharenkova

Cherniak

2018

Space Weather

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Many of currently operated low Earth orbit satellites, in particular Earth observing meteorological missions, are equipped with dual‐frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers with a zenith‐looking antenna for tasks of precise orbit determination and timing. The already existed databases with accumulated raw GPS measurements, as a by‐product of satellite missions, can arouse specific interest for ionospheric and space weather community too. We demonstrate potential possibilities and advantages of involving underutilized spaceborne GPS measurements for Space Weather activity monitoring by specification of storm‐induced ionospheric plasma density irregularities at different altitudinal domain of the topside ionosphere. We have analyzed a dynamical response of the high‐latitude topside ionosphere to the intense geomagnetic storm of 19–21 December 2015 using up‐looking GPS measurements on board Swarm and Meteorological Operational satellite (MetOp) missions, flying at altitudes of ~500 km and ~835 km, respectively. For the first time, GPS observations on board the meteorological mission MetOp were used to reveal an occurrence of plasma irregularities at altitudes above 835 km. Our results demonstrate that during strong geomagnetic storms the intense plasma density irregularities can occur in the topside ionosphere near ~500 km altitude and can be still persisted above 835 km. Joint analysis of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network global convection patterns, ground‐based GPS total electron content (TEC) observations, and MetOp‐derived topside TEC observations confirmed that plasma irregularities above ~835 km coincided with the plasmaspheric/magnetospheric part of the storm‐enhanced density and the polar tongue of ionization structures, which is the first direct observation of the storm‐enhanced density/tongue of ionization structure in the plasmaspheric TEC.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Underutilized Spaceborne GPS Observations for Space Weather Monitoring

Zakharenkova

Cherniak

2018

Space Weather

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“…It is interesting to find that they share common contrasting seasonal patterns: The electron density over American longitude is minimal (maximal) during June (December) solstice. The seasonal/longitudinal features of topside TEC are taken as the morphology of the plasmasphere, based on cumulative observations from several LEO satellites at different local times (e.g., Lee et al, 2013;Pedatella et al, 2011;Pinto Jayawardena et al, 2016;Shim et al, 2017;Zakharenkova & Cherniak, 2015;Zhong et al, 2017). The plasmasphere is thought to be closely coupled with the underlying ionosphere, but some studies reported the above features not observed in the ionosphere (Lee et al, 2013;Pedatella et al, 2011;Shim et al, 2017;Zhong et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These receivers provide topside TEC measurements along the ray path between LEO and GPS satellites (Yue et al, 2011). The topside TEC is mainly from the plasmasphere's contribution and has been widely used to investigate the morphology of the plasmasphere (e.g., Lee et al, 2013;Pedatella et al, 2011;Pinto Jayawardena et al, 2016;Shim et al, 2017;Zakharenkova & Cherniak, 2015;Zhong et al, 2017). In this study we used topside TEC data from the dual-frequency GPS receiver onboard the TSX satellite.…”

Section: Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Nighttime Enhancements in the Midlatitude Ionosphere and Their Relation to the Plasmasphere

Hao

Zhang

et al. 2018

JGR Space Physics

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In situ electron density measurements by the CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload and the Defense Meteorological Satellites Program F17 satellites show that the midlatitude ionization at altitudes of ∼350 and 850 km is enhanced in the late evening. The enhancements increase to maximum around midnight and are clearly observed till early morning as the equatorial ionization decays to minimal level. They appear in the winter hemisphere during June and December solstices and in both hemispheres during equinox. The enhancements are well confined between ±30° and ±50° magnetic latitude, with the magnetic flux tubes of L = 1.3 − 2.4 connecting to the plasmasphere. Furthermore, coincident longitudinal variations exist in both the ionospheric enhancements and the plasmaspheric total electron content, especially during the solstice months. The coincidence may suggest essential plasma transport between the ionosphere and the plasmasphere. These facts support the idea that the plasmasphere provides extra plasma to the midlatitude ionosphere through downward plasma influx along the magnetic field lines to form the nighttime ionization enhancements when the sunlight is absent.

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“…The maximum, that we consider, is obviously related to the WSA maximum from ~23 LT to ~04 LT, and, hence, the GRACE observations depicted it more clearly. Zakharenkova and Cherniak [] indirectly confirmed this assumption using the GOCE and TerraSAR‐X satellite GPS observations. They showed that the high‐latitude maximum did not appear during evening hours (17:00–18:00 LT) and only slightly appeared at morning hours (05:00–06:00 LT).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 85%

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

Клименко

Zakharenkova

et al. 2016

Radio Science

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We 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 N m F 2 maximum in the GSM TIP output can be trusted. Indeed, such high-latitude N m F 2 , 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 N m F 2 (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 N e distribution at altitudes above the F 2 peak.

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How can GOCE and TerraSAR-X contribute to the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere research?

Cited by 28 publications

References 40 publications

Underutilized Spaceborne GPS Observations for Space Weather Monitoring

Underutilized Spaceborne GPS Observations for Space Weather Monitoring

Nighttime Enhancements in the Midlatitude Ionosphere and Their Relation to the Plasmasphere

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

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