Finding multiscale connectivity in our geospace observational system: Network analysis of total electron content

Abstract

AbstractWe present the first complex network theory‐based analysis of high‐latitude total electron content (TEC) data, including dependencies on interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angle and hemisphere. We examine several network measures to quantify the spatiotemporal correlation patterns in the TEC data for winter and summer months in 2016. We find that significant structure exists in the correlation patterns, distinguishing the dayside and nightside ionosphere, and specific features in the high latitudes such as the polar cap and auroral oval, including the cusp and ionospheric foot points of magnetospheric boundary layers. These features vary with the IMF, exhibiting a strong dependence on the north‐south direction and generally larger variations during the winter months in both hemispheres. Our exploratory results suggest that network analysis of TEC data can be used to study characteristic ionospheric spatial scales at high latitudes, thereby extending the utility of these data. We explore mesoscale and large scale (greater than tens of kilometers and greater than hundreds of kilometers, respectively) as a function of winter/summer season, hemisphere, and IMF direction and conclude that the relative importance of different ionospheric scales is not a constant relationship. Together with an identification of important areas of future work, our findings provide a foundation for the application of network analysis techniques to ionospheric TEC. Our results suggest that network analysis can reveal new physical connections in the ionospheric system.