The global thermospheric and ionospheric response to the 2008 minor sudden stratospheric warming event

Abstract

[1] This paper presents a study of thermospheric and ionospheric response to the 2008 minor sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event. This period was characterized by low solar and geomagnetic activity. The study was performed using the Global Self-consistent Model of Thermosphere, Ionosphere, and Protonosphere (GSM TIP). Model results were compared with ionosonde data from Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Sao Jose dos Campos, and Jicamarca. The SSW event was modeled by specifying the temperature and density perturbations at the lower boundary of the GSM TIP (80 km altitude). GSM TIP simulation allowed the reproduction of the lower thermosphere temperature disturbances (the occurrence of the quasi-wave 1 structure at 80-130 km altitude with a vertical scale of $40 km), the negative response of F2 region electron density and the positive response of electron temperature at 300 km during the 2008 minor SSW event. The main formation mechanism of the global ionospheric response is due to the disturbances (decrease) in the n(O)/n(N2) ratio. The change in zonal electric field is another important mechanism of the ionospheric response at low latitudes.

Ionospheric response to the 2009 sudden stratospheric warming over the equatorial, low, and middle latitudes in the South American sector

“…As a result of this change in its interaction, the polar stratospheric temperature increases during several days. Recently, an unforeseen coupling between high latitudes, midlatitudes, and equatorial/low latitudes at upper atmospheric/ionospheric altitudes was discovered during sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events [Goncharenko and Zhang, 2008;Goncharenko et al, 2010aGoncharenko et al, , 2010bGoncharenko et al, , 2013aGoncharenko et al, , 2013bVineeth et al, 2009;Chau et al, 2010Chau et al, , 2012Liu et al, 2011;Pancheva and Mukhtarov, 2011;Bessarab et al, 2012;Fang et al, 2012;Korenkov et al, 2012;Sripathi and Bhattacharyya, 2012;Sumod et al, 2012;Olson et al, 2013;Upadhayaya and Mahajan, 2013;Xiong et al, 2013;Pedatella et al, 2014aPedatella et al, , 2014b. Therefore, various aspects involved behind the effects of SSW need to be explored in order to improve our knowledge about the Earth's atmosphere.…”

Preface

“…Especially for the day 259 event we can totally ignore the geomagnetic activity (A p < 6.5). The impact of magnetospheric and solar drivers is expected to be very low on the thermospheric changes during SSW (Goncharenko and Zhang 2008;Korenkov et al 2012). Hence, the variability in MLT dynamics during the minor SSW events is primarily due to the lower atmospheric forcing.…”

Influence of January 2009 stratospheric warming on HF radio wave propagation in the low-latitude ionosphere

“…This model involves numerical integration of a system of quasi-hydrodynamic equations for continuity, motion, and heat balance for the multicomponent gas mixture consisting of neu- [Namgaladze et al, 1990]. This model has been repeatedly used to study the ionospheric response to SSW events [Bessarab et al, 2012;Korenkov et al, 2012;Klimenko et al, 2013Klimenko et al, , 2016. The global ionospheric response to the January 23-27, 2009…”

“…Ionospheric effects observed in Russian Asia during the SSW event in winter of [2008][2009] have been discussed in [Polyakova et al, 2014;Shpynev et al, 2015]. Global and mid-latitude ionospheric responses to this event have also been repeatedly studied [Yue et al, 2010;Pancheva and Mukhtarov, 2011;Bessarab et al, 2012;Fagundes et al, 2015]. However, most papers have dealt with the response of the low-latitude ionosphere to the 2009 SSW event [Chau et al, 2010;Goncharenko et al, 2010b] and tried to explain reasons for this response [Goncharenko et al, 2010a;Chau et al, 2011;Fejer et al, 2011;Pedatella et al, 2015;Yiğit et al, 2015].…”

“…However, most papers have dealt with the response of the low-latitude ionosphere to the 2009 SSW event [Chau et al, 2010;Goncharenko et al, 2010b] and tried to explain reasons for this response [Goncharenko et al, 2010a;Chau et al, 2011;Fejer et al, 2011;Pedatella et al, 2015;Yiğit et al, 2015]. In order to assess the validity and importance of each of the proposed mechanisms of the observed morning enhancement of the equatorial ionization anomaly and the afternoon decrease in the electron density in the equatorial and low-latitude ionospheric regions during the 2009 SSW event, numerous scientific teams carried out theoretical research using global models of the middle and upper atmosphere, which represent the thermosphere-ionosphere system [Fuller-Rowell et al, 2010, 2011Liu et al, 2010Liu et al, , 2013Bessarab et al, 2012;Jin et al, 2012]. In all these studies, to greater or lesser degree, researchers qualitatively (not quantitatively) reproduced a low-latitude ionospheric response to the 2009 SSW event.…”