Identification

Title

Significant mid- and low-latitude ionospheric disturbances characterized by dynamic EIA, EPBs, and SED variations during the 13-14 March 2022 geomagnetic storm

Abstract

This work investigates mid-and low-latitude ionospheric disturbances over the American sector during a moderate but geo-effective geomagnetic storm on 13-14 March 2022 (pi-Day storm), using ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System total electron content data, ionosonde observations, and space-borne measurements from the Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD), Swarm, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), and the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellites. Our results show that this modest but geo-effective storm created a number of large ionospheric disturbances, especially the dynamic multi-scale electron density gradient features in the storm main phase as follows: (a) The low-latitude equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) exhibited a dramatic storm-time deformation and reformation, where the EIA crests evolved into a bright equatorial band for 1-2 hr and then quickly separated back into the typical double-crest structure with a broad crest width and deep equatorial trough. (b) Strong equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) occurred with an abnormally high latitude/altitude extension, reaching the geomagnetic latitude of similar to 30 degrees, corresponding to an Apex height of 2,600 km above the dip equator. (c) The midlatitude ionosphere experienced a conspicuous storm-enhanced density (SED) plume structure associated with the subauroral polarization stream (SAPS). This SED/SAPS feature showed an unusual temporal variation that intensified and diminished twice. These distinct mid-and low-latitude ionospheric disturbances could be attributed to the storm-time electrodynamic effect of electric field perturbation, along with contributions from neutral dynamics and thermospheric composition change.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7zw1qzd

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

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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

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Temporal reference

Temporal extent

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Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2023-08-01T00:00:00Z

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Conformity

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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

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