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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Space Physics

 

Keywords

  • MSTID
  • airglow
  • ionosphere

Index Terms

  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric disturbances
  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric dynamics
  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric irregularities
  • Ionosphere: Midlatitude ionosphere
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Airglow and aurora
Abstract
Cited By (2)
 

Abstract

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 113, A12312, 7 PP., 2008
doi:10.1029/2008JA013417

Northeastward motion of nighttime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances at middle latitudes observed by an airglow imager

K. Shiokawa

Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

Y. Otsuka

Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

N. Nishitani

Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

T. Ogawa

Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Koganei, Japan

T. Tsugawa

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Koganei, Japan

T. Maruyama

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Koganei, Japan

S. E. Smirnov

Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Radio Wave Propagation, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Paratunka, Russia

V. V. Bychkov

Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Radio Wave Propagation, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Paratunka, Russia

B. M. Shevtsov

Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Radio Wave Propagation, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Paratunka, Russia

Nighttime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) observed in 630-nm airglow images at middle latitudes are known to have a predominantly northwest-southeast phase surface and to move southwestward in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth. However, the mechanisms of MSTID generation and their systematic southwestward motion have not been clarified. In this paper, we report the “northeastward” motion of the MSTIDs observed at Paratunka, Far East Russia (52.97°N, 158.25°E), using an all-sky 630-nm airglow imager at 2000–2300 LT on 19 August 2007. The MSTIDs moved first southwestward but then back northeastward in the northern part of the images. The northeastward motion of the MSTIDs took place coincident with a F layer height decrease observed by an ionosonde at Paratunka. The F layer height decrease was also confirmed by an enhancement of the 630-nm airglow intensity, which seemed to propagate from northeast to southwest. This fact suggests that the F layer height decrease was caused by poleward wind enhancement rather than westward electric field. These observations imply that the F layer height decrease or the poleward thermospheric wind has some role in the northeastward turning of the MSTID propagation direction.

Received 22 May 2008; accepted 15 October 2008; published 30 December 2008.

Citation: Shiokawa, K., Y. Otsuka, N. Nishitani, T. Ogawa, T. Tsugawa, T. Maruyama, S. E. Smirnov, V. V. Bychkov, and B. M. Shevtsov (2008), Northeastward motion of nighttime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances at middle latitudes observed by an airglow imager, J. Geophys. Res., 113, A12312, doi:10.1029/2008JA013417.

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