Identification

Title

Electrodynamic response of the ionosphere to high-speed solar wind streams

Abstract

A combination of dawn and dusk observations from the DMSP F13 satellite and output from the thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamics general circulation model (TIE-GCM) are used to study the electrodynamic response of the ionosphere to quasi 9-day recurrent geomagnetic activity driven by solar wind high-speed streams during 2005. Superposed epoch analysis of the zonal and vertical plasma drifts reveal that significant electrodynamic perturbations occur in response to the high-speed streams during 2005. The peak response occurs around 0.5 days after the high-speed stream interface, and the drift perturbations slowly relax back to quiet levels over 4-6 days. The observed and modeled zonal drift perturbations are in good agreement near dusk; however, the amplitude of the zonal drift perturbations at dawn slightly differ. At low-and midlatitudes the modeled drift perturbations are westward at all local times, with the largest westward drifts occurring near midnight. At dawn, the DMSP observations at low-and midlatitudes reveal similar to 20 m s(-1) eastward drift perturbations, while the TIE-GCM simulates weaker eastward drifts at midlatitudes and westward drifts in the equatorial region. At dusk, the low-and midlatitude perturbation drifts are similar to 10-20 m s(-1) westward in both the DMSP observations and TIE-GCM simulations. Owing to equatorial expansion and strengthening of the high-latitude two-cell convection pattern, the high-latitude zonal drift perturbations are eastward in the morning and westward in the afternoon and evening. Less agreement is present between the simulated and observed vertical drift perturbations. Near dawn, at all latitudes upward drift perturbations are revealed by both the TIE-GCM simulation (similar to 5 m s(-1)) and DMSP observations (similar to 10-15 m s(-1)). However, at dusk the DMSP observes an upward drift perturbation on the order of 25-35 m s(-1), while the TIE-GCM simulates vertical drift perturbations less than 10 m s(-1). The disagreement may be related to errors in the DMSP observations, or deficiencies in the model. Based on the results presented, we conclude that the disturbance dynamo mechanism is an important mechanism for driving the electrodynamic response at dawn and dusk to recurrent geomagnetic activity driven by solar wind high-speed streams.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d77085h4

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

2011-12-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

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Conformity

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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