Comprehensive study of disturbances of the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere parameters over Eastern Siberia during the 2013 January major sudden stratospheric warming

Abstract

We investigated variations in the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere parameters within a large range of heights in the Eastern Siberia region during the 2013 January sudden stratospheric warming (SSW). The analysis is based on: the data from spectrometric measurements of OH (∼87km, 834.0nm, (6–2)) and At O2 (∼94km, 864.5nm, (0–1)) upper atmospheric emissions, the data from the Irkutsk DPS-4 Digisonde, the data on electron and ion temperatures and the meridional component of the neutral wind from the Irkutsk Incoherent Scatter Radar, the satellite data on the vertical temperature distribution in the atmosphere from Aura MLS v3.3, and the MERRA reanalysis data.We detected the disturbances of the neutral atmosphere temperature from the stratosphere to the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The temperature at 10hPa (∼32km) increased by ∼70K up to ∼270K, the temperature at 0.01hPa (∼80km) decreased by 50K, and reached ∼170K. At the MLT heights, an increase in the intensities of the OH and O2 emissions by a factor of 2–2.5 relative to the undisturbed conditions was revealed. At the F2-layer height, the plasma parameter disturbances were found. After 2013 January 10, interruption of the correlation between NmF2 and hmF2 occurred. Ion temperature cooling reaching 50K was observed on January 1–10, changing to a quick increase by 50K for several days after January 10. The neutral wind meridional component and the electron temperature decreased over January 1–21.The observed effects can be probably caused by atmospheric circulation disturbances and amplification in the vertical transfer. The disturbances in the upper atmospheric and in ionospheric parameters during SSW can evidence the coupling between the lower and upper atmosphere.