Effects of the March 31, 2001 Geomagnetic Storm on the Lower Thermosphere and Ionosphere at Mid-Latitude.

Details Effects of the March 31, 2001 Geomagnetic Storm on the Lower Thermosphere and Ionosphere at Mid-Latitude. Effects of the March 31, 2001 Geomagnetic Storm on the Lower Thermosphere and Ionosphere at Mid-Latitude.

Dec 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agufmsa12b0688g&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2001, abstract #SA12B-0688

Physics

2427 Ionosphere/Atmosphere Interactions (0335), 2443 Midlatitude Ionosphere, 2447 Modeling And Forecasting

Scientific paper

We present the main features of the lower ionosphere and thermosphere observed by the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar (42.6N, 71.5W) during the major geomagnetic storm of March 31, 2001. The Millstone Hill measurements show that during the most disturbed time 06-10 UT (Kp = 8.7, DST ~ -380) the radar was located within the auroral oval and observed an increase in electron temperature up to 200-500 K and an increase in electron density in the local E-region. During a second storm maximum at 18-23 UT (Kp = 8.3, Dst ~ -284), the auroral oval was located ~4 degrees to the north of the radar. The observations show that a predominantly southward electric field of >40 mV/m existed in the morning hours, changing to the ~50 mV/m northward in the evening sector and producing horizontal ion drifts at E-region altitudes of the order of 300-1000 m/s. We have initiated a comparison of the radar observations with simulations from the global upper atmosphere model (UAM) which calculates electric fields, electron, ion and neutral gas densities, temperatures, and composition, ion drift and neutral wind velocity vectors at altitudes above 80 km. For these simulations, we selected a realistic set of input values: cross polar cap potential drop, polar cap and auroral zone boundary locations, precipitating electron fluxes and zone 2 Field-aligned current intensity - all depending on the Kp index. We obtain a good agreement between observed and calculated electric fields and ion drifts, as well as for Te and Ne. Some disagreement is also found due to the fact that the model auroral zone has less steep walls than observed by DMSP, and find large differences in horizontal neutral winds results, especially in the meridional component. The sources of such differences will be discussed.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Effects of the March 31, 2001 Geomagnetic Storm on the Lower Thermosphere and Ionosphere at Mid-Latitude. does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Effects of the March 31, 2001 Geomagnetic Storm on the Lower Thermosphere and Ionosphere at Mid-Latitude., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Effects of the March 31, 2001 Geomagnetic Storm on the Lower Thermosphere and Ionosphere at Mid-Latitude. will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1378758