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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • planetary waves
  • ionosphere
  • equatorial ionization anomaly

Index Terms

  • Atmospheric Processes: Tides and planetary waves
  • Ionosphere: Equatorial ionosphere
  • Ionosphere: Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions
  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric dynamics
  • Ionosphere: Ionospheric irregularities

Abstract

Modulation of the equatorial F-region by the quasi-16-day planetary wave

N. M. Pedatella

Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

J. M. Forbes

Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

In situ electron density measurements from the CHAMP satellite and global positioning system total electron content (TEC) observations are used to illustrate how quasi-16-day planetary wave activity influences the structure of the low-latitude ionosphere. SABER temperature measurements reveal that quasi-16-day oscillations in the dynamo region (110 km) during the time interval of 1 December 2005 to 1 March 2006 are most dominant in the zonal mean. Enhancements in equatorial zonal mean temperatures in the E-region are connected with enhancements at ±10–20° magnetic latitude in zonal mean CHAMP electron densities and TEC. At a near-constant altitude of 350 km, the oscillations in daytime electron densities are greater than 40 percent of background levels. A local time effect is also observed in the planetary wave influence on the F-region electron densities. These results demonstrate that vertically propagating planetary waves induce significant variability in the low-latitude F-region ionosphere and that these effects are seen at all longitudes.

Received 18 February 2009; accepted 7 April 2009; published 8 May 2009.

Citation: Pedatella, N. M., and J. M. Forbes (2009), Modulation of the equatorial F-region by the quasi-16-day planetary wave, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L09105, doi:10.1029/2009GL037809.

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