On the equatorial electrojet

Abstract

During 29 crossings of the geomagnetic dip equator near 80°W longitude in February and July 1964, airborne equipment obtained cross sections of geomagnetic field intensity and ionospheric characteristics. The magnetic anomalies due to the electrojet and the amplitudes of Esq echoes show fair correlation of details and fair‐to‐good correlation of large scale features. Width and position of the electrojet vary considerably from hour to hour and from day to day. The data suggest that the electrojet during certain days in February was separated into two or more parallel streaks. The magnetic data also show strong electric currents in the ocean. Those appear to be a sector of the ‘internal part’ of the Sq current system, however stronger than anticipated.

The day-to-day variability of the equatorial electrojet in Peru

“…It also conflicts with the computations of the layer conductivity, •,,, made by Sugiura and Cain [1966]. This finding is also inconsistent with the results of an airborne magnetometer survey made by Gassman and Wagner [1966], who found the electrojet to be 'centered at --1 ø dip,' in Peru, in 1964; on the other hand, ground observations by Mason [1963] There has been a suggestion [Onwumechilli and Ogbuehi, 1967] that 'the electrojet appears to be narrower when it is more intense,' but no evidence can be found for this in Figure 3, and scatter diagrams in which the widths to various fractions of peak intensity were plotted against [R (H)]max for each day also show no significant correlation.…”