Multi-Instrument Observations of the Atmospheric and Ionospheric Response to the 2013 Sudden Stratospheric Warming Over Eastern Asia Region

Abstract

We investigate the atmospheric and ionospheric response to the 2013 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) by using multiple instruments located in Eastern Asia. Three meteor radars and five ionosondes are used to investigate the mesospheric zonal wind fields and ionospheric parameters of F-layer virtual height (h'F), F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> -layer peak height (h <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">m</sub> F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> ), and critical frequency (f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">o</sub> F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> ) at midand low-latitudes (10.7°N to 40.3°N). The vertical total electron content (TEC) data derived from the groundbased global positioning system receiver network are analyzed to study the ionospheric perturbations in the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) region. The changes in equatorial electrojet (EEJ) are observed by using the magnetometer data from stations on and off the magnetic equator. The variations of the h <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">m</sub> F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> at Sanya and EEJ strength presented the semidiurnal pattern with increase/decrease and eastward/westward currents in the morning/afternoon hours. In addition, the EIA crest moved poleward/equatorward in the morning/afternoon. The f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">o</sub> F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> showed the most significant enhancements during daytime at Wuhan and Shaoyang but the f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">o</sub> F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> at Sanya and Chumphon reduced mildly. Most importantly, based on the time-period wavelet analysis, the diurnal tidal components in the f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">o</sub> F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> over Beijing, Wuhan, and Sanya seemed similar those in zonal winds and the semidiurnal tides in the low-latitude h <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">m</sub> F <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> showed the similar temporal variations as those in EEJ strength during the later phase of SSW. Therefore, apart from the local tides propagating from lower atmosphere having influence on the mid- and low-latitude ionosphere directly during the early phase, the equatorial fountain effect modulated by the enhanced tides also disturbed the EIA region.