The ionosphere response to severe geomagnetic storm in March 2015 on the base of the data from Eurasian high-middle latitudes ionosonde chain

Ionospheric longitudinal variability in the Northern Hemisphere during magnetic storm from the GPS/GLONASS data

“…These zones of enhanced GMF variations correspond to the regions of strong negative ionospheric disturbances, i.e. of decreased electron density in the F2 layer maximum [26] and in vTEC ( figure 3, 4). Figures 3 and 4 using the GPS/GLONASS dual-frequency phase receiver data show that in the North American sector, the negative ionospheric effect of both magnetic storms is observed much longer than over the Eurasia.…”

“…It can also be noted that in the Eastern Hemisphere over the Siberian region of the Eurasia, there is a range in the interval of mid-latitudes of ~80-110°E where the ionosphere recovers sooner after geomagnetic disturbances (figure 3a and 4a). When discussing the ionospheric effects over Eurasia from the ionosonde chain data [26], it was emphasized that the ionosphere recovered on the 4-5th day after commencement of the March 2015 magnetic storm over the Siberian region of the Eurasia. The GPS/GLONASS dual-frequency phase receiver data generally confirm this feature for the storm in March at the equinox ( figure 3).…”

“…In [26], according to the Eurasian mid-latitude ionosonde chain (figure 1b), it was established that over the Eurasian continent at longitudes ~80-110°E, the ionosphere had a positive anomaly due to low level of geomagnetic field (GMF) variations within this longitudinal sector. To study the GMF variations during the March 2015 geomagnetic storm the data of the global network of magnetometers INTERMAGNET in the Northern Hemisphere were used [26]. It should be emphasized that the geographical location of the chains of GPS/GLONASS receivers (figure 1a) is well aligned with the location of chains of the INTERMAGNET magnetometers and Eurasian ionosondes ( figure 1b).…”

“…In this paper we consider the response of the ionosphere system during the two strongest geomagnetic storms of the current 24 solar activity cycle -in March and June 2015. These events have broadly been studied by different scientific groups [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. Most of these studies used GPS or Low Elevation Orbit (LEO) system together with GPS data.…”

“…The first research of the ionosphere response to the March 2015 severe geomagnetic storm according to Eurasian mid-latitude ionosonde chain data showed the longitudinal irregularity of the ionosphere over Eurasia [26]. Unfortunately, the mid-latitude ionosonde chain covers only the Eurasian continent in the Eastern Hemisphere.…”