Identification

Title

Large‐scale O+ depletions observed by ICON in the post‐midnight topside ionosphere: Data/model comparison

Abstract

The Ion Velocity Meter instrument on the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite measured large depletions in the O+ density (but not H+) in the post-midnight topside ionosphere on December 23, 2019. This phenomenon has been observed previously but has yet to be explained. The authors provide for the first time a physical explanation for this observation based on a simulation study using the first-principles, ionosphere/plasmasphere code SAMI3 (Sami3 is also a model of the ionosphere) with neutral atmosphere inputs (neutral wind, density, and temperature) from the whole atmosphere model Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere and ionosphere extension (WACCM-X). The physical processes responsible for these observations are (1) the nighttime O+/H+ transition altitude is below the ICON orbit and (2) a prolonged downward E x B drift in the post-midnight/pre-sunrise time sector. Interestingly, the authors also find that equatorial plasma bubbles develop in the African and Pacific sectors.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7z60sf7

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2021-04-16T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact