Ionospheric vertical drift response at a mid-latitude station

Abstract

Vertical plasma drift data measured at a mid-latitude ionospheric station Pruhonice (50.0°N, 14.6°E) were collected and analysed for the year 2006, a year of low solar and geomagnetic activity. Hence these data provide insight into the drift behaviour during quiet conditions. The following typical diurnal trend is evident: a significant decay to negative values (downward peak) at dawn; generally less pronounced downward peak at dusk hours. Magnitude of the downward drift varies during the year. Typically it reaches values about 20ms-1 at dawn hours and 10ms-1 at dusk hours. Maximum dawn magnitude of about 40ms-1 has been detected in August. During daytime the vertical drifts increases from the initial small downward drifts to zero drift around noon and to small upward drifts in the afternoon. Night-time drift values display large variability around a near zero vertical drift average. There is a significant trend to larger downward drift values near dawn and a less pronounced decrease of the afternoon upward vertical drifts near sunset. Two regular downward peaks of the drift associated with the dawn and dusk are general characteristics of the analysed data throughout the year 2006. Their seasonal course corresponds to the seasonal course of the sunrise and sunset. The duration of prevailing negative drift velocities forming these peaks and thus the influence of the dawn/dusk on the drift velocity is mostly 1.5–3h. The dawn effect on vertical drift tends to be larger than the effect of the dusk. The observed magnitude of the sunrise and sunset peaks show significant annual course. The highest variability of the magnitude is seen during winter. High variability is detected till March equinox and again after September equinox. Around solstice, both peaks reaches lowest values. After that, the magnitudes of the drift velocity increase smoothly till maxima in summer (August). The vertical drift velocity course is smooth between June solstice and September equinox. In general, the detected values of the observed vertical drift are of lower magnitudes compare to low latitudes. Drift data in midlatitudes seems to be more influenced by the atmospheric waves than data in lower latitudes.