Geomagnetic storm-time scintillation study in Antarctica - A comparison of model and observation

Abstract

The polar region is the gateway of the magnetospheric processes induced due to the solar events; through which Sun-illuminated plasma enter into the polar ionosphere. In this paper we are presenting the comparative study of the South Pole B-spline ionospheric scintillation model and ionospheric scintillation/total electron content (TEC) comparison tool (that uses only observed data) associated with the three famous geomagnetic storm case studies over Antarctica during the year 2013, 17 March, 07 June, and 02 October respectively. A few significant Antarctica research studies related to the geomagnetic storm time scintillation investigations and their outcomes are also reviewed. Our results show weak phase scintillation and almost no amplitude scintillation occurs during the dark winter month in Antarctica and the scintillations mostly appear due to the irregularities generated through cusp/auroral precipitation. We have observed significant phase scintillation in the dusk sector and pre-magnetic-midnight sectors during the winter storm. However, during the summer geomagnetic storms, we have observed both the amplitude and phase scintillation in the pre and post magnetic noon sectors over Antarctica. The discussed comparative case studies corroborate the available research literature to date and presents additional information on the storm time ionospheric scintillation in Antarctica due to geomagnetic storms.