Diurnal double maxima patterns in the F region ionosphere: Substorm‐related aspects

Abstract

Daytime double maxima (twin peaks or bite‐outs) in the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) at middle and lower latitudes are found to be related to substorm signatures shown in both auroral electrojet and ring current variations. Case studies reveal that during substorm onset and recovery phases, the penetration of magnetospheric convection electric fields and their subsequent “overshielding” effects may be the major dynamical sources of these events. A theoretical low‐latitude ionospheric model is used to simulate the dynamical effects of electric field disturbances on F region electron density and TEC. It is demonstrated that the diurnal double maxima in TEC can be created by a combined effect of E × B drift and altitude‐dependent F region chemical loss. The required zonal electric fields are found to have greater penetration efficiency in the early evening sector and their latitudinal requirements appear to change with local time. The time scales for the modeled penetration and overshielding effects are 2‐3 hours. Modeling results also show that considerable structuring in the local time variation of the ionospheric “equatorial anomaly” can occur due to the interplay of convection electric field penetration and overshielding effects. The possible cause of the midday bite‐out ionospheric disturbances by the meridional winds associated with traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs) is also addressed in modeling studies, but the specialized nature of the required TADs makes this a less well understood substorm‐related mechanism.