Abstract
Geomagnetic storm is one of the most powerful factors affecting the state of the Earth’s ionosphere. Revealing the significance of formation mechanisms for ionospheric storms is still an unresolved problem. The purpose of the study is to obtain a statistical pattern of the response in regional electron content to geomagnetic storms on a global scale to interpret the results using the upper atmosphere model (the Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, and Protonosphere), to make the detailed comparison with the thermospheric storm concept, and to compare the obtained pattern with results from previous statistical studies. The regional electron content is calculated based on the global ionospheric maps data, which allows us to cover the midlatitude and high-latitude zones of both hemispheres, as well as the equatorial zone. Most of the obtained statistical pattern agrees with the thermospheric storm concept and with the previous statistical studies: ionospheric responses at ionospheric storm main phases including their seasonal dependences for the high- and midlatitudes and some features of ionospheric responses at recovery phases. However, some of the statistical patterns are inconsistent with the thermospheric storm concept or contradicts the previous statistical studies: negative midlatitude ionospheric responses at recovery phases in the local winter, the domination of the spring response in the equatorial zone, seasonal features of the positive after-effects, the interhemispheric asymmetry of ionospheric responses, and the prestorm enhancement. We obtained that the contribution of electric field to the interpretation of the zonal and diurnal averaged storm-time regional electron content (REC) disturbances is insignificant. The positive after-storm effects at different latitudes are caused by n(O) disturbances.
Highlights
Geomagnetic storm is one of the most powerful factors affecting the state of the Earth’s ionosphere.Revealing the significance of formation mechanisms for ionospheric storms is still an unresolved problem
Statistical analysis is implemented through the superposed epoch technique, which is an averaging of ionospheric responses to events of the same type, synchronized with respect to the key time
(±5 days from the beginning of the geomagnetic storm recovery phase) is divided into three phases. These are the prestorm phase (Days −5 ÷ −1), the main phase of ionospheric storm (Days 0 ÷ 1) and the recovery phase of ionospheric storm (Days 2 ÷ 5)
Summary
Geomagnetic storm is one of the most powerful factors affecting the state of the Earth’s ionosphere.Revealing the significance of formation mechanisms for ionospheric storms is still an unresolved problem. Statistical analysis is one of the methods for studying the ionospheric response to various events, in particular, to geomagnetic storms. Statistical analysis is implemented through the superposed epoch technique, which is an averaging of ionospheric responses to events of the same type, synchronized with respect to the key time. Unlike case studies, this kind of analysis allows us to smooth out the individual feature of responses to the selected events and to obtain patterns. The well-known reviews of geomagnetic storms [1–4] and the review of ionospheric precursors [5] contain data on statistical studies.
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