High‐latitude topside ionospheric vertical electron density profile changes in response to large magnetic storms

Abstract

AbstractLarge magnetic‐storm‐induced changes were detected in high‐latitude topside vertical electron density profiles Ne(h) in a database of profiles and digital topside ionograms, from the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program, that enabled Ne(h) profiles to be obtained in nearly the same region of space before, during, and after a major magnetic storm (Dst < −100 nT). Storms where Ne(h) profiles were available in the high‐latitude Northern Hemisphere had better coverage of solar wind parameters than storms with available Ne(h) profiles in the high‐latitude Southern Hemisphere. Large Ne(h) changes were observed during all storms, with enhancements and depletions sometimes near a factor of 10 and 0.1, respectively, but with substantial differences in the responses in the two hemispheres. Large spatial and/or temporal Ne(h) changes were often observed during Dst minimum and during the storm recovery phase. The storm‐induced Ne(h) changes were the most pronounced and consistent in the Northern Hemisphere in that large enhancements were observed during winter nighttime and large depletions during winter and spring daytime. The limited available cases suggested that these Northern Hemisphere enhancements increased with increases of the time‐shifted solar wind velocity v, magnetic field B, and with more negative values of the B components except for the highest common altitude (1100 km) of the profiles. There was also some evidence suggesting that the Northern Hemisphere depletions were related to changes in the solar wind parameters. Southern Hemisphere storm‐induced enhancements and depletions were typically considerably less with depletions observed during summer nighttime conditions and enhancements during summer daytime and fall nighttime conditions.