The Effect of Energy Deposition Hemispherical Asymmetry on Characteristics of LSTIDs During 17 March 2015 Geomagnetic Storm

Abstract

AbstractThis article presents the effect of energy deposition hemispherical asymmetry on characteristics of large scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) such as the amplitude and velocity during the geomagnetic storm of 17–18 March 2015. LSTIDs are quantified using total electron content (TEC) derived from Global Navigation Satellite System observations considering a longitude range of 50° over the America, Europe‐Africa, and Asia‐Australia sectors at geomagnetic Conjugate Regions (CR). We applied the cross‐correlation method between time series of change in TEC (ΔTEC) to estimate meridional velocities of LSTIDs in all sectors of both hemispheres. Our results revealed that amplitude of LSTIDs are larger most of the time in the northern hemisphere than the geomagnetic CR in the southern hemisphere which may partly be accounted for by hemispherical energy imbalance during storm time. In addition, on average higher meridional LSTIDs velocities are observed in northern hemisphere in all sectors during 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm.