Conjugate hemispheric response of earth’s ionosphere due to geomagnetic storms occurred during two equinox periods

Abstract

The ionospheric response of two geomagnetic storms of 2016 occurred during spring equinox (5-8 March, 2016) and autumn equinox (12-15 October, 2016) is investigated using the total electron content (TEC) data derived from Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers located in the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest regions at northern hemisphere (Tripura University, Agartala, India) and southern hemisphere (Karratha, Australia). While in southern EIA station ionospheric responses for the two storms are found to be symmetric but in northern EIA station the responses are completely asymmetric. The observations are explained by the contribution of storm-time prompt penetration electric fields (PPEFs), disturb dynamo electric fields (DDEFs), disturbed meridional (equatorward) winds as well as the neutral compositional changes over low latitudes.