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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • ionosphere
  • electric fields
  • equatorial electrodynamics

Index Terms

  • Ionosphere: Electric fields
  • Ionosphere: Equatorial ionosphere
  • Ionosphere: Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions
  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric dynamics
  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric storms

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 35, L20106, 4 PP., 2008
doi:10.1029/2008GL035584

Seasonal and longitudinal dependence of equatorial disturbance vertical plasma drifts

Bela G. Fejer

Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA

John W. Jensen

Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA

Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, California, USA

Shin-Yi Su

Institute of Space Science and Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan

We used equatorial measurements from the ROCSAT-1 satellite to determine the seasonal and longitudinal dependent equatorial F region disturbance vertical plasma drifts. Following sudden increases in geomagnetic activity, the prompt penetration vertical drifts are upward during the day and downward at night, and have strong local time dependence at all seasons. The largest prompt penetration drifts near dusk and dawn occur during June solstice. The daytime disturbance dynamo drifts are small at all seasons. They are downward near dusk with largest (smallest) values during equinox (June solstice); the nighttime drifts are upward with the largest magnitudes in the postmidnight sector during December solstice. During equinox, the downward disturbance dynamo drifts near sunset are largest in the eastern hemisphere, while the late night upward drifts are largest in the western hemisphere. The longitudinal dependence of the disturbance dynamo drifts is in good agreement with results from simulation studies.

Received 4 August 2008; accepted 22 September 2008; published 25 October 2008.

Citation: Fejer, B. G., J. W. Jensen, and S.-Y. Su (2008), Seasonal and longitudinal dependence of equatorial disturbance vertical plasma drifts, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L20106, doi:10.1029/2008GL035584.

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