A comparative study of global ionospheric responses to three great magnetic storms

Abstract

Based on a large data base from 69 ionosonde stations distributed worldwide a comparative study is made on the global behavior of ionospheric responses to three great magnetic storms occurring nearly at low and high activity phase of the 22nd solar cycle. Depending on the season of storn occurrence, the global morphology of the ionospheric response to major magnetic storm is very different. For the February 1986 storm, hemispheric asymmetry of storm effects is remarkable, and positive storm effects are dominant in the winter hemisphere. Instead, for the two magnetic storms taking place near equinox in 1989, longlasting decreases in Nm were observed in both hemispheres Large-scale TIDs propagating equatorward were seen during the main phases of the October 1989 magnetic storm at evening-night sector. On the other hand, short-lasting positive storm effects appearing as wave-like disturbances in Nm were observed during the primary main phase of the 1986 storm in winter hemisphere. They seem to originate near the equatorial region and travel polarward.