MHD nature of night‐time MSTIDs excited by the solar terminator

Abstract

We have obtained first experimental evidence in favour of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) nature of night‐time medium‐scale travelling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). We used total electron content (TEC) measurement data from the dense GPS networks in California and in Japan for 2008–2009. It was found that the spectral MSTID characteristics are determined by the solar terminator (ST) dynamics. In summer, MSTIDs are detected 1.5–3 hours before the evening ST at 100 km above the point of observations, but at the moment of the evening ST passage through the magnetoconjugate point. At the equinox MSTIDs are registered at once after ST appearance. In winter, MSTIDs are observed 1.5–3 hours after the evening ST occurrence at the point of observations, but at the moment of the evening ST passage in the magnetoconjugate point. The MSTID occurring synchronously with the ST passage through the magnetoconjugate area suggest that the ST‐excited MSTIDs are of MHD nature.