Abstract
The longitudinal structure in the altitude of the Sporadic E (Es) was investigated for the first time based on the S4 index provided by the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) in low latitudes. The longitudinal structure is identified as a symmetrically located wavenumber-4 (WN4) pattern within 30°S–30°N. The WN4 occurs primarily during the daytime at the June solstice and equinoxes, with the largest amplitude at the September equinox and the smallest one at the March equinox. It moves eastward with a speed of ~90°/day. The strongest WN4 appears within 10–20°N and 5–15°S in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, respectively. At the June solstice and the September equinox, the WN4 is stronger in the Northern hemisphere than in the Southern hemisphere, while the situation is reversed at the March equinox. The altitude distribution of the convergence null in the diurnal eastward non-migrating tide with zonal wavenumber-3 (DE3) for the zonal wind is similar to that of the WN4. This and other similar features, such as the seasonal variation, eastward speed, and the symmetrical locations, support the dominant role of the DE3 tide for the formation of the WN4 structure.
Highlights
Sporadic E (Es) layers are thin-layered structures with intense, high electron densities at ~80–120 km altitudes
We only show the result for the zonal band at 15◦ N as an example, since the phase of the DE3 tide shows the minor latitudinal variation in low latitudes
The longitudinal structure in the altitude of the Es layer is investigated for the first time based on the S4 index provided by the COSMIC satellite constellation during 2007—2018
Summary
Sporadic E (Es) layers are thin-layered structures with intense, high electron densities at ~80–120 km altitudes. They can become denser than the normal E layer or even the peak. Rocket and incoherent scatter radar observations have shown that Es layers are caused by the vertical convergence of metallic (monoatomic) ions, such as Fe+ , Mg+ , and Na+ [7]. As a result, these layers are reported to be related to the sporadic metal layers [8,9,10]. Numerous studies have investigated the latitude, altitude, thickness, local time (LT), and seasonal and hemisphere variations of the Es layer and their relations to the wind shear, geomagnetic dip angle, meteor influx, and the tidal and planetary waves [11,12,13]
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