Recovery Phase Of Geomagnetic Storm Research Articles

Nightside Detached Auroras Associated With Expanding Auroral Oval During the Main and Recovery Phases of a Magnetic Storm

AbstractDetached subauroral proton arcs are commonly observed during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms, and have been extensively investigated. However, there is limited study on their occurrence during the main phase of storms. This study investigated nightside detached auroras (NDAs) observed by the far‐ultraviolet imager onboard the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft. The NDAs occurred in the nightside sector, separated from the equatorward boundary of the auroral oval, and were observed during the main and recovery phases of the geomagnetic storm on 02 October 2013. The occurrence of the NDAs appears to correlate with the expanding auroral oval toward lower latitudes, and is independent of the polarity change in the interplanetary magnetic field Bz component. Particle measurements indicate that the NDAs were generated by energetic protons, primarily above 10 keV, originating from the ring current. These precipitating proton fluxes, predominantly anisotropic, were observed to be detached from the isotropic boundary within the auroral oval. Analysis of Pc1 data obtained by ground stations suggests that electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves account for the generation of the NDAs. The limited latitudinal distribution of the NDAs indicates the wave activity in the magnetospheric source region within a narrow L‐shell region. The observations presented in this study would contribute to our understanding of the coupling processes between the magnetosphere and ionosphere within the subauroral region.

Revealing the EMIC Wave Frequency Differences in the Ionosphere via Coordinated Observations: A Case Study

AbstractWe study electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves based on observations from the ionosphere, magnetosphere, and ground during a geomagnetic storm recovery phase on 28 August 2018. In this case, multiple ducting EMIC waves in the ionosphere show higher frequencies in the post‐midnight than those in the pre‐midnight. Ionospheric EMIC wave frequency differences in magnetic local time (MLT) are consistent with MLT frequency differences in the equatorial magnetosphere, which are mainly caused by different background magnetic field at different L‐shells. Moreover, we report the first observation of frequency range selections in ionospheric ducting EMIC waves and find that frequency selections depend on the magnetic field intensity in the main part of the ionospheric waveguide, with higher frequency corresponding to larger magnetic field. This study reveals the important role of background magnetic field in regulating ducting EMIC wave frequencies in the ionosphere.

Distribution and recovery phase of geomagnetic storms during solar cycles 23 and 24

Abstract Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs) are the main drivers of intense geomagnetic storms. We study the distribution of geomagnetic storms associated with different drivers during solar cycles 23 and 24 (1996-2019). Although the annual occurrence rate of geomagnetic storms in both cycles tracks the sunspot cycle, the second peak in storm activity lags the second sunspot peak. SIRs contribute significantly to the second peak in storm numbers in both cycles, particularly for moderate to stronger-than-moderate storms. We note semiannual peaks in storm numbers much closer to equinoxes for moderate storms, and slightly shifted from equinoxes for intense and stronger-than-intense storms. We note a significant fraction of multiple-peak storms in both cycles due to isolated ICMEs/SIRs, while single-peak storms from multiple interacting drivers, suggesting a complex relationship between storm steps and their drivers. Our study focuses on investigating the recovery phases of geomagnetic storms and examining their dependencies on various storm parameters. Multiple-peak storms in both cycles have recovery phase duration strongly influenced by slow and fast decay phases with no correlation with the main phase buildup rate and Dst peak. However, the recovery phase in single-peak storms for both cycles depends to some extent on the main phase buildup rate and Dst peak, in addition to slow and fast decay phases. Future research should explore recovery phases of single and multiple-peak storms incorporating in-situ solar wind observations for a deeper understanding of storm evolution and decay processes.

Dependence of Ionospheric Responses on Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure During Geomagnetic Storms Using Global Long‐Term GNSS‐TEC Data

AbstractTo elucidate the effect of solar wind dynamic pressure on the activities of ionospheric plasma irregularities in both high‐latitude and equatorial regions, we analyzed the long‐term global navigation satellite system (GNSS) total electron content (TEC) data from 2000 to 2018 and performed a superposed epoch analysis of the GNSS rate of the TEC index (ROTI), solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and geomagnetic index. We found that during the main phase of geomagnetic storms, the activities of ionospheric plasma irregularities were considerably enhanced in both high‐latitude and equatorial regions under high‐pressure conditions, and the equatorward edge of the auroral oval moved to lower latitudes. The poleward edge of the enhanced low‐latitude ROTI region (occurrence region of the plasma bubbles) in the evening sector extended to higher latitudes under high‐pressure conditions. During the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms, the plasma bubble occurrence in the dusk sector was suppressed under high‐pressure conditions. Our results suggest that the high‐latitude convection electric field and the penetration and disturbance dynamo electric fields at low latitudes become stronger during geomagnetic storms when the solar wind dynamic pressure is enhanced. This is because the conversion from solar wind energy to electromagnetic energy in the magnetosphere is enhanced by the formation of a high plasma pressure area in the high‐latitude cusp and mantle region. Therefore, not only the southward IMF but also solar wind dynamic pressure are important factors for varying global ionospheric responses during geomagnetic storms.

A Statistical Study of Longitudinal Extent of Pc1 Pulsations Using Seven PWING Ground Stations at Subauroral Latitudes

AbstractPc1 geomagnetic pulsations correspond to electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the magnetosphere and are excited there with frequencies of 0.2–5 Hz. The instantaneous longitudinal extent of Pc1 waves on the ground has not been estimated yet. In this study, we analyze the Pc1 pulsations observed at seven longitudinally‐distributed ground stations at subauroral latitudes at ∼60° magnetic latitude for 1 year from July 2018 to June 2019. The hourly occurrence rates of Pc1 pulsations at all 7 stations have a peak (14%–39.6%) in the post‐noon sector and a local minimum (4.1%–8.1%) at midnight. The average frequencies become highest (0.6–1.1 Hz) after midnight and lowest (0.3–0.5 Hz) after noon at all 7 stations. An increasing tendency of total Pc1 occurrence with respect to magnetic latitude was observed. Based on these observations, we obtained a peak of probability distribution of the instantaneous Pc1 longitudinal extent as ∼82.5° with a half maximum at ∼114°, though this probability distribution can be affected by the limitation of the number of the stations. We also made model calculations on the possible longitudinal extent using artificial random Pc1 waves with fixed extents. The comparison of the model results with the observation suggests longitudinal extent of 70°–86° comparable to the peak of probability distribution (∼82.5°). A superposed epoch analysis shows that the longitudinal extent of Pc1 waves tends to increase during recovery phase of geomagnetic storms.

Patterns of geomagnetic Pc1 pulsations in different solar cycles in the near-equatorial region from the Indian subcontinent

Pc1 geomagnetic pulsations have been investigated at very low latitudes using 13 years of archived records covering solar cycle 20–21 from the equatorial site Choutuppal (CPL, L = 1.03), and 5 years of digital induction coil magnetometer data covering descending phase of solar cycle 24 from the low latitude site Desalpar (DSP, L = 1.07). At CPL, the maximum number of Pc1 events is seen in the declining phase of the solar cycle 20 and minimum occurrence is observed in the ascending phase of the solar cycle 21. In contrast, at DSP, the Pc1 occurrence shows a maximum during solar maximum and a minimum in the declining phase of solar cycle 24. The annual and seasonal patterns of Pc1 occurrence show an inverse relation with sunspot numbers at both stations. The seasonal variation of Pc1 occurrence has a maximum in December solstice at CPL and in June solstice at DSP, respectively. The diurnal variations of Pc1 activity show similar trends at both locations with maximum Pc1 occurrence during pre- and post-midnight sectors. The superposed epoch analysis shows minimum number of Pc1s in the initial phase, followed by Pc1 occurrence in the main phase, increasing significantly in the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms. The role of ionospheric plasma density and attenuation of Pc1 waves upon propagation via the ionospheric waveguide is presented.

Findings of the unusual plasma bubble occurrences at dawn during the recovery phase of a moderate geomagnetic storm over the Brazilian sector

In this work, we observe for the first time the unusual pre-sunrise Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) during a moderate geomagnetic storm recovery phase caused by the High-Speed Solar Wind Stream (HSS) on February 17, 2015, over the Brazilian sector. Therefore, this study aims to explain the generation mechanism of this uncommon event, which started at 08:00 UT on February 18, 2015. We used Multiple Global Navigation Satellite Systems (Multi-GNSS, GPS, and GLONASS) data to produce two-dimensional maps of the Rate Of TEC index (ROTI) that show EPB features elongated in magnetic meridians. Also, Digisonde data from São Luís (2.53° S, 44.30° W, dip angle: 8.57°), Boa Vista (12.81° N, 60.67° W, dip angle: 33.71°), and Campo Grande (20.44° S, 54.64° W, dip angle: 25.98°), and magnetometer data at São Luís and Eusébio (3.89° S, 38.45° W, dip angle: 17.96°). Our analysis shows that the unusual pre-sunrise plasma bubbles lasted longer after sunrise, around 1 h. Finally, we showed that these EPBs are likely driven by a disturbance wind dynamo effect, which helps to understand the role of the external factors in EPBs development.

A Statistical Study of Poleward Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances Over the African and American Sectors During Geomagnetic Storms

AbstractWe present statistical results of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) with origin near the geomagnetic equator during geomagnetic storms that occurred within the period of 2010–2018. Based on storm criteria of Kp > 4 and Dst ≤ −50 nT, we have analyzed total electron content perturbations derived from Global Navigational Satellite Systems observations within a latitude range of 40°S–60°N and longitude ranges of 20°–40°E and 50°–70°W representing the African and American sectors. Although the northern hemispheric part of the African sector has limited data coverage, results show that the launched TIDs do not exceed the latitudinal distance of 20°–25° from their origin during the analyzed period. A statistically similar result is observed over the American sector with launched poleward TIDs constrained largely within ±20°–30° around the geomagnetic equator. Where data are available, majority of these cases are linked to changes in ionospheric electrodynamics, especially the enhancement of equatorial electrojet (EEJ), although there are other observations that are not explained by EEJ variability. This indicates that there may be other physical mechanisms that play a role in launching TIDs at the geomagnetic equator during disturbed conditions. An important result is that large‐scale and medium‐scale TIDs have been found to occur predominantly during the main and recovery phases of geomagnetic storms, respectively, at least over the African sector.

Statistical study and corresponding evolution of plasmaspheric plumes under different levels of geomagnetic storms

Abstract. Using observations of Van Allen Probes, we present a statistical study of plasmaspheric plumes in the inner magnetosphere. Plasmaspheric plumes tend to occur during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms. Furthermore, the results imply that the occurrence rate of observed plasmaspheric plume in the inner magnetosphere is larger during stronger geomagnetic activity. This statistical result is different from the observations of the Cluster satellite with much higher L shells in most orbital periods, which suggests that the plasmaspheric plume near the magnetopause tends to be observed during moderate geomagnetic activity (Lee et al., 2016). In the following, the dynamic evolutions of plasmaspheric plumes during a moderate geomagnetic storm in February 2013 and a strong geomagnetic storm in May 2013 are simulated through group test particle simulation. It is obvious that the plasmaspheric particles drift out on open convection paths due to sunward convection during both geomagnetic storms. It seems that the outer plasmaspheric particles exhaust the energy available to them sooner, and the plasmasphere shrinks faster during strong geomagnetic storms. As a result, the longitudinal width of the plume is narrower, and the plume is limited to lower L shells during the recovery phase of strong geomagnetic storm. The simulated evolutions may provide a possible interpretation for the occurrence rates: Van Allen Probes tend to observe plumes during stronger geomagnetic storms, and the Cluster satellite with higher L shells tends to observe plumes during moderate geomagnetic storms.

Swarm satellite observations of the effect of prompt penetration electric fields (PPEFs) on plasma density around noon and midnight side of low latitudes during the 07–08 september 2017 geomagnetic storm

In this paper, using plasma density data (Ne) obtained from the Swarm satellite, the effect of prompt penetration electric fields (PPEFs) on the distribution of plasma density at low latitudes during the 07–08 September 2017 geomagnetic storm is discussed. The observations of enhancements and reductions in ionospheric plasma around noon and midnight in association with the orientation of the north–south component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF Bz) are presented during the main phase and the recovery phase of geomagnetic storm. The days of 05–06 September 2017 were selected as geomagnetically quiet days, and the plasma density data on these days were plotted as a quiet-time reference. The plasma enhancements and reductions in the low latitudes are found closely related to the magnetic local time (MLT), the orientation of IMF Bz, the main phase and the recovery phase of geomagnetic storm. During the main phase of geomagnetic storm with southward IMF Bz, plasma density increased around noon (10:00–11:00 MLT), while plasma density decreased around midnight (22:00–23:00 MLT). During the recovery phase of geomagnetic storm with northward IMF Bz, plasma density decreased around noon (10:00–11:00 MLT), while plasma density increased around midnight (22:00–23:00 MLT). The plasma density around both noon and midnight after the geomagnetic storm shows a distribution very similar to the distribution of plasma density during the geomagnetically quiet period. It is assumed that PPEFs are responsible for these results. During the main phase of the geomagnetic storm, the eastward PPEFs cause an increase in plasma density around the noon side while the westward PPEFs cause a decrease in plasma density around midnight side.

Different Sporadic‐E (Es) Layer Types Development During the August 2018 Geomagnetic Storm: Evidence of Auroral Type (Esa) Over the SAMA Region

AbstractSporadic‐E (Es) layers are investigated over five Digisonde stations located inside (Santa Maria and Cachoeira Paulista), boundary (São Luís), and outside (Millstone Hill and Port Stanley) the South American Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA) in the course of the 25 August 2018, geomagnetic storm. Data from Digisondes and ground‐based magnetometer and a numerical model of the E‐region (MIRE) are analyzed to search the roles of neutral winds and electric fields as physical processes responsible for the generation of Es layers. Moreover, it is observed for the first time over Santa Maria a type of Es layer that resembles the Esa detected in the auroral region. The characterization of such signatures in ionograms and the investigations of its formation mechanism are the main focus of this study. Hiss waves activities detected by the Van Allen Probe‐B data provide evidence that energetic particle precipitations are the most likely process responsible for this type of Es layer inside the SAMA in the night hours during the geomagnetic storm recovery phase. An attempt is also made to explain the presence of Esq over São Luís in terms of the expansion of the Equatorial Electrojet to higher latitudes. Finally, the results bring a new observational and modeling indication of a concomitant action of multiple formation mechanisms in the Es layers development in the American sector during the 25 August 2018, geomagnetic storm.

Statistical Behavior of Large‐Scale Ionospheric Disturbances From High Latitudes to Mid‐Latitudes During Geomagnetic Storms Using 20‐yr GNSS‐TEC Data: Dependence on Season and Storm Intensity

AbstractTo establish the statistical behavior of ionospheric TEC variations from high latitudes to mid‐latitudes during the main and recovery phases of geomagnetic storms, we conducted a superposed epoch analysis of interplanetary magnetic field, solar wind, geomagnetic indices (AE and SYM‐H), and global navigation satellite system (GNSS)‐total electron content (TEC) data for 20 yr (2000–2019). In this study, we identify 663 geomagnetic storm events with the minimum SYM‐H value of less than −40 nT and investigate the characteristics of the TEC variations for the weak (−60 ≤ SYM‐Hmin < −40 nT), moderate (−100 ≤ SYM‐Hmin < −60 nT), and strong (−150 ≤ SYM‐Hmin < −100 nT) geomagnetic storms. The main results obtained from the present study are as follows: (a) The TEC enhancements related to the tongue of ionization (TOI), auroral oval, and storm‐enhanced density (SED) plume are more dominant in winter than in summer during the main phase of geomagnetic storms. (b) The structure of the mid‐latitude trough in the nighttime sector becomes unclear in winter. (c) The TEC depletion at auroral and mid‐latitudes (40°–70° GMLAT: geomagnetic latitude) starts to appear in the morning sector (8–10 hr GMLT: geomagnetic local time) during the main phase of geomagnetic storms and the decreased region extends in the lower latitude and GMLT directions with time. The negative storm activity tends to be enhanced significantly as the storm intensity becomes larger. The activity of the TEC depletion is dominant in summer than in winter, which is agreement with the classical ionospheric storm scenario.

Inhibition of F3 Layer at Low Latitude Station Sanya During Recovery Phase of Geomagnetic Storms

AbstractA special F2 layer stratification structure named F3 layer occurs frequently in equatorial and low latitude ionosphere during summer daytime. In this study, a new phenomenon of decreasing occurrence of the F3 layer, and narrowing differences of virtual heights between the F3 and F2 layers in the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms is reported. We named this phenomenon as the inhibition of F3 layer event (IFLE). Using the ionosonde observations during summer of 2012–2015 at Sanya (18.3°N, 109.6°E, dip latitude 12.6°N), we found that IFLE occurred during 14 geomagnetic storms (−127 nT ≤ Dstmin ≤ −22 nT), which was accompanied by the thinning and lowering bottom ionosphere, and decreasing the crest‐to‐trough ratio of total electron content (TEC). Together with the ion drift data measured by Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F18, we suggest that the IFLE is mainly caused by the westward disturbance dynamo electric field (DDEF; downward drift velocity), taking disadvantage of the formation of the F3 layer. The observed decrease in the crest‐to‐trough ratio of TEC also indicates that the westward DDEF should prompt IFLE by providing less plasma from the equatorial region to the low latitude. Hence, IFLE then can be a good indicator to show how the magnetosphere‐ionospheric coupling process affects the low and equatorial ionosphere. Notably, the results also indicate that even a very weak geomagnetic storm can generate significant changes in ionospheric state at low latitude.

The nighttime ionospheric response and occurrence of equatorial plasma irregularities during geomagnetic storms: a case study

Recent studies revealed that the long-lasting daytime ionospheric enhancements of Total Electron Content (TEC) were sometimes observed in the Asian sector during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms (e.g., Lei (J Geophys Res Space Phys 123: 3217–3232, 2018), Li (J Geophys Res Space Phys 125: e2020JA028238, 2020). However, they focused only on the dayside ionosphere, and no dedicated studies have been performed to investigate the nighttime ionospheric behavior during such kinds of storm recovery phases. In this study, we focused on two geomagnetic storms that happened on 7–8 September 2017 and 25–26 August 2018, which showed the prominent daytime TEC enhancements in the Asian sector during their recovery phases, to explore the nighttime large-scale ionospheric responses as well as the small-scale Equatorial Plasma Irregularities (EPIs). It is found that during the September 2017 storm recovery phase, the nighttime ionosphere in the American sector is largely depressed, which is similar to the daytime ionospheric response in the same longitude sector; while in the Asian sector, only a small TEC increase is observed at nighttime, which is much weaker than the prominent daytime TEC enhancement in this longitude sector. During the recovery phase of the August 2018 storm, a slight TEC increase is observed on the night side at all longitudes, which is also weaker than the prominent daytime TEC enhancement. For the small-scale EPIs, they are enhanced and extended to higher latitudes during the main phase of both storms. However, during the recovery phases of the first storm, the EPIs are largely enhanced and suppressed in the Asian and American sectors, respectively, while no prominent nighttime EPIs are observed during the second storm recovery phase. The clear north–south asymmetry of equatorial ionization anomaly crests during the second storm should be responsible for the suppression of EPIs during this storm. In addition, our results also suggest that the dusk side ionospheric response could be affected by the daytime ionospheric plasma density/TEC variations during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms, which further modulates the vertical plasma drift and plasma gradient. As a result, the growth rate of post-sunset EPIs will be enhanced or inhibited.

Inhibition of F3 Layer at Low Latitude Station Sanya during Recovery Phase of Geomagnetic Storms

Inhibition of F3 Layer at Low Latitude Station Sanya during Recovery Phase of Geomagnetic Storms

Alfvénicity-related Long Recovery Phases of Geomagnetic Storms: A Space Weather Perspective

Abstract This paper reports, for the first time on a statistical basis, on the key role played by the Alfvénic fluctuations in modulating the recovery phase of the geomagnetic storms, slowing down the restoration of the magnetosphere toward its pre-storm equilibrium state. Using interplanetary and geomagnetic measurements collected over more than one solar cycle, a high correlation between the durations of Alfvénic streams and concurrent recovery phases is found, pointing to a clear coupling between Alfvénic turbulence and magnetospheric ring current dynamics. By exploiting current solar wind models, these observations also provide space weather opportunities of predicting the total duration of any geomagnetic storm induced by any solar driver provided that it is followed by an Alfvénic stream, a crucial piece of information for ground technologies and infrastructures that are affected by time-integrated effects throughout the duration of the storm.

Ring Current Decay During Geomagnetic Storm Recovery Phase: Comparison Between RBSP Observations and Theoretical Modeling

AbstractRing current decay during storm recovery phase may be affected by different loss processes. In this study, we have investigated the lifetimes of ring current ions (H+ and O+) of energies from 1 keV to several hundred keV at L shell from 3 to 6 during the storm recovery phase through a statistical survey. The observational data of 48 geomagnetic storms from March 2013 to May 2019 are collected based on Van Allen Probe observations. We find that (1) the observed lifetimes of H+ and O+ in general increase with L shell and (2) the lifetimes of H+ is short than that of O+ when E < ∼50 keV while the situation is reversed when E > ∼50 keV. In addition, we have made use of the charge exchange theory, combined with previous experimental results on the charge exchange cross section and two distribution models of neutral hydrogen atoms in the exosphere, so as to directly estimate the ring current ions decay caused by charge exchange mechanism only. Through the comparison between the model predictions of charge exchange lifetime and the observed lifetimes, we find that (3) the observed lifetimes are in general consistent with model results, which confirms that charge exchange is a dominant loss mechanism of ring current ions during storm recovery phase.

Investigation of Daytime Total Electron Content Enhancements over the Asian-Australian Sector Observed from the Beidou Geostationary Satellite during 2016–2018

This study focused on the investigation of daytime positive ionospheric disturbances and the recurrence of total electron content (TEC) enhancements. TEC data derived from the Beidou geostationary satellite over the Asian-Australian sector were used to study the occurrence of TEC enhancements during 2016–2018. The occurrence of TEC enhancements under quiet geomagnetic condition was analyzed. Furthermore, the occurrence of TEC enhancements during different geomagnetic storm phases was considered to address the question that relates to the recurrence of TEC enhancements during the recovery phase of geomagnetic storms. The seasonal variation of TEC enhancements displayed equinoctial and solstitial peaks at the middle and low latitudes respectively. Besides, there was no evident systematic latitudinal dependence in the occurrence of TEC enhancements, albeit at the equatorial station, nearly no TEC enhancement was observed under Kp < 3. Meanwhile, the occurrences during the main phases of the geomagnetic storms were significantly above the TEC enhancement baselines except at HKWS. The prominence of TEC enhancements during the main phase in comparison with the initial and recovery phases could be attributed to the effects of prompt penetration electric fields and equator-ward neutral winds. Moreover, the pattern of TEC enhancements during the storm recovery indicates the effects of chemical composition changes, winds, and the possible modulation from the lower atmospheric forcing.

Statistical Study of Loss of GPS Signals Caused by Severe and Great Geomagnetic Storms

AbstractLoss of satellite signals is the most significant disruption to global navigation satellite system (GNSS), such as global positioning system (GPS), associated with a geomagnetic storm. To characterize the lost GPS signals during severe and great geomagnetic storms, we define two indices, that is, the number of lost GPS signals at a single site (SLGS) and the global average rate of lost GPS signals (GLGS). We analyze the response of SLGS and GLGS to 14 intense geomagnetic storms with a minimum disturbance storm time (Dst) index less than −200 nT occurred since 2000. The results calculated from global GPS observation data showed that both the SLGS and GLGS responded well to the change of Dst index for all the studied storms, the loss of satellite signals mainly occurred during the main phase and the early recovery phase of geomagnetic storms. We found that the peak value of GLGS and the standard deviation of SLGS are exponentially correlated with the magnitude of Dst. We further compare the global distribution of SLGS with the relative differential total electron content (RTEC) and the rate of total electron content index (ROTI). The comparison results indicated that the new indices would be useful to evaluate the worst impact on GNSS performance during intense geomagnetic storms, and it is also a complementarity to the existing ionospheric indices.

Investigation of equatorial plasma bubble irregularities under different geomagnetic conditions during the equinoxes and the occurrence of plasma bubble suppression

In this study, we investigated the behavior of equatorial plasma bubble irregularities under different geomagnetic conditions during March 2015 and September 2017. It was used Total Electron Content (TEC) data obtained from SGOC (6,89 oN, 79,87 oE), IISC (12,94 oN, 77,57 oE) and HYDE (17,40 oN, 78,50 oE) receiver stations which located between the trough and the crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). We used the Rate of TEC change (ROT) and Rate of TEC change index (ROTI) to represent plasma bubbles irregularities. These indices are a well proxy for the ionospheric fluctuations and can be used to describe features of plasma bubbles irregularities. The equatorial plasma bubble irregularities for all stations were observed between 13 UT and 20 UT (during postsunset period) during equinoxes. The intensity level of ROTI during postsunset periods was greater than 1 TECU min−1. Also, the values of mean ROTI (ROTIave) between 13 UT and 20 UT have values greater than 0,4 TECU min−1 while the values of ROTIave at the other hours have values less than 0,4 TECU min−1. The geomagnetic activity has a significant effect on the occurrence of equatorial plasma bubbles irregularities. The occurrence rate of equatorial plasma bubble irregularities observed during postsunset hours increased as geomagnetic activity increases. It also was observed that the main phases of geomagnetic storms have the triggering effect of storms on equatorial plasma bubble irregularities observed at postsunset hours while the recovery phases of geomagnetic storms have the suppression effect of storms on equatorial plasma bubble irregularities. Asymmetry between two equinoxes was observed. The occurrence rate of equatorial plasma bubble irregularities in the March equinox was much larger than that of the September equinox. The occurrence probability of equatorial plasma bubbles for March Equinox was maximum with 45,1% at 17 UT while the occurrence probability of equatorial plasma bubbles for September Equinox was maximum with 11,5% at 16 UT. The enhancements and reductions in the latitudinal gradient of VTEC show similar behaviors with the occurrence of equatorial plasma irregularities. The EIA during postsunset hours contributes significantly to the occurrence of equatorial plasma bubbles irregularities.