Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Research Articles

Impact of Interplanetary Shock on Thermospheric Cooling Emission: A Case Study

AbstractInterplanetary (IP) shock is one of the most common phenomena that controls the shape and size of the magnetosphere. It affects the whole magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere (MIT) system. We utilized the NO 5.3 m radiative emission, as observed by SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) onboard NASA's TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics) satellite, to investigate its response to fast forward shock during 26 January 2017. The high latitude NO emission exhibits a strong enhancement (three times with respect to pre‐event value) during IP shock within 5 hr of onset. We analyzed both the energy dissipation sources and subsequent chemical mechanisms. The Field‐Aligned‐Current observations from Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Response Experiment (AMPERE), EISCAT measurements of Pederson conductivity and the defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP F18) calculated hemispheric power demonstrate a strong intensification. The low energy particle precipitation from DMSP F18 spacecraft shows an early enhancement for energy less than 1 keV. The particle flux of higher energy responds later which remained elevated for longer duration. The thermospheric density and temperature also experience significant variation during IP shock. The NO molecule and temperature displayed an early enhancement. NO density increased by an order of magnitude with respect to the pre‐event value. About 20 increase is noticed in the temperature variation. The atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen illustrate an early depletion during IP event. The enhanced response of NO cooling to IP shock can be attributed to the combined effects of energy input and subsequent chemical mechanisms.

Seasonal and Interhemispheric Variations of the Afternoon Auroral Responses to the Interplanetary Magnetic Field By Polarity

AbstractThis work investigates seasonal and interhemispheric variations of the afternoon auroral responses to the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By effects. The auroral observations are adopted from the global ultraviolet imager instrument on board the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite during 2002–2007. The results show that in both summer and winter solstices, the stronger afternoon auroral intensity is associated with negative IMF By (By < 0) in the northern hemisphere, and with By > 0 in the southern hemisphere. This suggests stronger contributions from the upward field‐aligned currents (FACs), which can be induced by the By‐associated north‐south oriented electric field and the By‐associated flow shear in the ionosphere. In addition, the strongest afternoon aurora occurs in summer in each hemisphere. In summer, the absolute difference between the auroral peak intensity under the two By polarities is greater and occurs earlier than in winter, which may be related to changes in FACs and conductivity from winter to summer. Differently, in equinoxes stronger auroral intensity favors By conditions associated with more frequent occurrence of southward IMF Bz, such as By < 0 and By > 0 conditions in March and in September, respectively. Therefore, in equinoxes the effects of the favorable By, which were seen in solstices, are masked. We suggest that these are caused by the Russell‐McPherron effect, which leads to more southward Bz conditions, resulting in more energy deposited and subsequent stronger aurora in polar ionosphere. These results contribute to our deeper understanding of the asymmetrical phenomena in the Earth's magnetosphere‐ionosphere induced by IMF By.

Impact of interplanetary shock on nitric oxide cooling emission: A superposed epoch study

The impact of interplanetary (IP) shock on Nitric Oxide (NO) 5.3 µm cooling emission is studied during geomagnetic quiet periods. The Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment measurements of field-aligned-currents intensify during IP shock with a relatively higher magnitude in southern hemisphere as compared to the northern hemispheric counterpart. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft observations displayed an early and strong enhancement in the precipitating particle flux of energy less than 1 keV. The particle flux of higher energy responds at later time. The NO density exhibited a significant, pre-event increase by an order of magnitude due to low-energy particle precipitation. The thermospheric temperature increased by about 100 K at 400 km. The superposed epoch analysis study revealed a linear enhancement in SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) measurements of NO cooling emission onboard the TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics) satellite due to the prompt increase in particle precipitations and thermospheric temperature triggered by IP shock.

Lower Thermospheric Temperature Response to Geomagnetic Activity at High Latitudes

AbstractThe magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere system is externally driven by the energy input from the solar wind. A part of the solar wind energy deposited in the magnetosphere during geomagnetically active periods dissipates into the thermosphere. Previous studies have reported temperature perturbations in the lower thermosphere during geomagnetic storms. The present study aims to assess the climatological spatial pattern of the lower thermospheric response to geomagnetic activity at high latitudes based on 21 years of temperature measurements by the SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) instrument onboard the TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) satellite and their comparison with the recently developed half‐hourly geomagnetic activity index Hp30. The temperature response to geomagnetic activity, evaluated at different seasons and altitudes, is better organized in magnetic coordinates than in geographic coordinates. At 110 km, the temperature increases with Hp30 at all magnetic local times, but with a prominent dusk‐dawn asymmetry in the magnitude. That is, the temperature variation per unit Hp30 is larger in the dusk sector than in the dawn sector. At 106 km, the response in the dawn sector is further reduced or even negative. These results provide observational evidence to support earlier theoretical predictions; according to which, both storm‐induced vertical wind and Joule heating contribute to the temperature increase in the dusk sector, while in the dawn sector, the vertical wind acts to cool the air and thus counteracts Joule heating.

Symmetric and Antisymmetric Solar Migrating Semidiurnal Tides in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

AbstractUpward‐propagating solar tides are responsible for a large part of atmospheric variability in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region, and they are also an important source of ionospheric variability. Tides can be divided into the parts that are symmetric and antisymmetric about the equator. Their distinction is important, as the electrodynamic responses of the ionosphere to symmetric and antisymmetric tides are different. This study examines symmetric and antisymmetric tides using 21 years of temperature measurements by the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry. The main focus is on the solar migrating semidiurnal tide (SW2), which is one of the dominant tides in the MLT region. It is shown that symmetric and antisymmetric parts of SW2 are comparable in amplitude. However, their spatiotemporal characteristics are different. That is, the symmetric part is strongest during March–June at 30–35° latitude, while the antisymmetric part is most prominent during May–September with the largest amplitude at 15–20° latitude. The symmetric and antisymmetric parts can be well described by the first two symmetric and antisymmetric Hough modes, respectively. Amplification is observed in the antisymmetric part during the major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) in January 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2019. Atmospheric model simulations for the 2009 and 2019 SSWs confirm the amplification in the antisymmetric part of SW2. The enhanced antisymmetric tidal forcing explains the previously‐reported asymmetric response of the ionospheric solar‐quiet current system to SSWs.

Thermospheric nitric oxide energy budget during extreme geomagnetic storms: a comparative study

We selected three superstorms (disturbance storm time [Dst] index less than −350 nT) of 2003–04 to study the thermospheric energy budget with a particular emphasis on the thermospheric cooling emission by nitric oxide via a wavelength of 5.3 μm. The nitric oxide radiative emission data are obtained from the Sounding of the Atmosphere by Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite and the thermosphere ionosphere electrodynamic general circulation model (TIEGCM) simulation. Different energy sources for the magnetospheric energy injection and the thermospheric/ionospheric dissipation processes are calculated using empirical formulations, model simulations, and space-borne and ground-based measurements. The Joule heating rates calculated from different sources showed similar variations but significant differences in the magnitude. The nitric oxide cooling power is calculated by zonally and meridionally integrating the cooling flux in the altitude range of 100–250 km. The satellite observed that cooling flux responds faster to the energy input, as compared to the modeled results. The cooling power increases by an order of magnitude during storm time with maximum radiation observed during the recovery phase. Both the satellite-observed and modeled cooling powers show a strong positive correlation with the Joule heating power during the main phase of the storm. It is found that the maximum radiative power does not occur during the strongest storm, and it strongly depends on the duration of the main phase. The model simulation predicts a higher cooling power than that predicted by the observation. During a typical superstorm, on average, a cooling power of 1.87 × 105 GW exiting the thermosphere is estimated by the TIEGCM simulation. On average, it is about 40% higher than the satellite observation.

Statistical analysis on orographic atmospheric gravity wave and sporadic E layer

In this study, we present the statistical features of gravity wave (GW) and sporadic E layer (ES) by using the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) data aboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) radio occulation measurements during 2007–2018. Statistical analysis of occurrences of GW and ES shows that daytime GW and ES are frequently observed on the eastern sides of the Tibetan plateau during summer, while less consistency between nighttime GW and ES occurrences was presented in our observations. The concurrence of GW and ES shows that nearly 60% ES occurred simultaneously with local strong GW occurrence. These results provide observational evidence suggesting that the effect of strong GW activities is significant in the generation of ES.

Nitric Oxide Concentration: A New Data Set Derived From SABER Measurements

AbstractVertical profiles of nitric oxide (NO) concentration are derived between 120 and 250 km using updated NO emission rates measured by Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the NASA Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics satellite. The Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter Radar (MSIS) 2.1 model is used to provide the required parameters of temperature, atomic oxygen number density, and molecule oxygen number density needed to derive the NO concentrations using a non‐local thermodynamic equilibrium (non‐LTE) model. The SABER NO concentration shows a significant correlation with solar activity with larger peak NO concentrations and higher altitude extent during solar maximum years compared to those during the solar minimum years. The SABER NO agrees well with the MSIS 2.1 NO at altitudes above 120 km for all latitudes, while the pronounced SABER‐MSIS NO discrepancy below 120 km is likely due to the temperature underestimation by MSIS 2.1. A detailed error analysis is presented and considers systematic and random errors in all the terms in the non‐LTE model used to derive the NO concentration. Random error in MSIS 2.1 temperature and atomic oxygen dominates the uncertainty in single NO profiles above 120 km. We estimated a systematic error up to ∼36% between 120 and 250 km during solar maximum years.

Responses of Mesosphere Temperature to the Geomagnetic Storms on 8 and 15 September 2003

AbstractThe impact of geomagnetic storms on the mesosphere temperature has been controversial and lacks direct observational evidence. The intricate chemical and physical processes in the mesosphere, combined with the scarcity of observations, pose challenges to achieving a thorough comprehension of storm‐induced turbulences in this region. Currently, some investigations have characterized temperature responses during geomagnetic storms and the focus has largely been on changes above mesopause (∼90 km). In this work, the responses of temperature in the mesosphere (75–95 km) to the storms on September 8 and 15, 2003 and its causes are studied using observations from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite. It is found that (a) temperature responses for the moderate storm on September 15 manifest as increases within the latitude range of 80°S to 65°S, with peak values decreasing from approximately 15 K to around 7 K as latitude decreases, while for the minor strom of September 8 temperature changes only occur at ∼80°S with peaks of 7 K and −10 K, (b) the temperature responses can be transmitted down to 76–81 km, depending on the latitude and storm magnitude, and (c) there are significant fluctuations in both ozone (exceed 45%) and atomic oxygen (exceed 90%) after storm onset, highly correlated with temperature temporal and spatial variations. We suggest that the increases in ozone caused by the increases in atomic oxygen concentrations are the major contributor to rising temperature.

Enhanced response of thermospheric cooling emission to negative pressure pulse

Nitric oxide (NO) emission via 5.3 µm wavelength plays dominant role in regulating the thermospheric temperature due to thermostat nature. The response of NO 5.3 mm emission to the negative pressure impulse during November 06–09, 2010 is studied by using Sounding of Atmosphere by Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) observations onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite and model simulations. The TIMED/SABER satellite observations demonstrate a significant enhancement in the high latitude region. The Open Geospace General Circulation Model (OpenGGCM), Weimer model simulations and Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment measurements exhibit intensification and equatorward expansion of the field-aligned-currents (FACs) post-negative pressure impulse period due to the expansion of the dayside magnetosphere. The enhanced FACs drive precipitation of low energy particle flux and Joule heating rate affecting whole magnetosphere–ionosphere–thermosphere system. Our study based on electric fields and conductivity derived from the EISCAT Tromsø\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\o }$$\\end{document} radar and TIEGCM simulation suggests that the enhanced Joule heating rate and the particle precipitations prompt the increase in NO cooling emission.

A Comparative Analysis of the Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Measured from Earth and Mars: Toward a General Empirical Model for the Study of Planetary Aeronomy

Accurate estimation of the solar vacuum ultraviolet irradiance between 0.1 and 200 nm is critical for the study of planetary aeronomy. Previous empirical models have relied on a limited number of reference spectra, or on multiple data sets with various degrees of uncertainty, and on an empirical selection of solar proxies. Here we propose a novel method for the development of empirical models based on Fourier transform and least-squares fitting of the long-term measurements from the Solar EUV Experiment on the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics mission. A Fourier transform analysis is performed to examine a large number of solar proxies, which reveals that the solar radio flux at 10.7 cm and the solar Lyα flux at 121.6 nm are better proxies for solar irradiance below and above ∼120 nm, respectively. Using these two proxies, a nonlinear empirical model is developed through Fourier transform and least-squares fitting of solar irradiance measurements, which can reproduce the solar irradiance with uncertainties of only ∼1%–2% above ∼120 nm, ∼2%–4% within ∼45–120 nm, and ∼4%–8% below ∼45 nm. Comparison with measurements from the Extreme Ultraviolet Monitor on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission indicates that the solar irradiance at Mars can be predicted with uncertainties of less than ∼8% by geometric extrapolation of the solar irradiance measured from Earth, provided that the measurements from Earth can be calibrated accurately. Our study provides a general method for the development of empirical models using long-term observations in planetary aeronomy.

Retrieval of Thermospheric O and N2 Densities From ICON EUV

AbstractAs activity in Earth orbit continues to grow, it is important to characterize the environment of near‐Earth space. One means of remotely sensing lower thermospheric neutrals is by measurement of O and N2 density through the observation of far‐ultraviolet (FUV) airglow of atomic oxygen at 135.6 nm and the N2 Lyman‐Birge‐Hopfield (LBH) bands (~130–180 nm), as has been done on the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), Global‐scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD), and Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) missions. This technique is not without limitations, however, as the FUV measurements suffer from contamination by ionospheric emissions at low latitudes and auroral emissions excited by precipitating energetic electrons and protons at high latitudes. Previous work has shown the potential for making measurements of O and N2 density in the lower‐middle thermosphere using observations of extreme‐ultraviolet (EUV) airglow. This measurement approach has a potential advantage in that it does not have an inherent ionospheric emission that must be accounted for. Additionally, these emissions are primarily excited directly by solar UV rather than electron impact and thus have the potential to enable expansion of neutral density observations into the auroral zone and polar cap where the FUV measurement cannot be applied. This article demonstrates a new approach and algorithm designed to retrieve thermospheric O and N2 density from 150 to 400 km using measurements from the ICON EUV instrument. The retrieval results throughout 2020 are summarized and compared to measurements from ICON FUV, GOLD, and SWARM.

Retrieval of Rotational Temperatures From the Arecibo Observatory Ebert‐Fastie Spectrometer and Their Inter‐Comparison With Co‐Located K‐Lidar and SABER Measurements

AbstractRotational temperatures in the Mesosphere‐Lower Thermosphere region are estimated by utilizing the OH(6,2) Meinel band nightglow data obtained with an Ebert‐Fastie spectrometer (EFS) operated at Arecibo Observatory (AO), Puerto Rico (18.35°N, 66.75°W) during February‐April 2005. To validate the estimated rotational temperatures, a comparison with temperatures obtained from a co‐located Potassium Temperature Lidar (K‐Lidar) and overhead passes of the Sounding of the Atmosphere by Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard NASA's Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite is performed. Two types of weighting functions are applied to the K‐Lidar temperature profiles to compare them with EFS temperatures. The first type has a fixed peak altitude and a fixed full width at half maximum (FWHM) for the whole night. In the second type, the peak altitude and FWHM vary with the local time. SABER measurements are utilized to estimate the OH(6,2) band peak altitudes and FWHMs as a function of local time and considerable temporal variations are observed in both the parameters. The average temperature differences between the EFS and K‐Lidar obtained with both types of weighting functions are comparable with previously published results from different latitude‐longitude sectors. We found that the temperature comparison improves when the time‐varying weighting functions are considered. Comparison between EFS, K‐Lidar, and SABER temperatures reveal that on average, SABER temperatures are lower than the other two instruments and K‐Lidar temperatures compare better with SABER in comparison to EFS. Such a detailed study using the AO EFS data has not been carried out previously.

On the response of the mesopause region over an Indian Antarctic station Bharati to the geomagnetic storm of 23–24 March 2023

We report, in this work, the changes in the thermal structure of the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region over an Indian Antarctic station Bharati (69.4° S, 76.2° E, CGM coordinates 75° S, 97° E) brought about by an intense geomagnetic storm of 23–24 March 2023 (Dst ∼ −155 nT). We use the temperature and OH airglow measurements of the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard NASA's Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission satellite to compare the thermal field of the MLT region on these disturbed days with the neighbouring quietest days of 27–28 March. Such comparison reveals both warming and cooling in the MLT region associated with the storm. An extension of this comparative study in the latitude region located poleward of Bharati also shows similar behavior of the MLT region during this geomagnetic storm. Overall, this study reveals the maximum temperature enhancement of ∼39–43 K to occur at around 99 km, a significant warming of ∼4–43 K in 95–105 km, and a decrease of ∼12–16 K in 80–87 km. While the enhancement of temperature in 95–105 km appears to be a consequence of the auroral heating associated with this storm; we are unable to account for the cooling below based on existing theories. Present observation of the development of cooling underneath the region of temperature enhancement during the geomagnetic storm is rare and demands further investigation.

Diurnal Response of CO2 Radiative Cooling to September 7-9, 2017 Storm

The solar and magnetospheric energy deposition into Earth’s high latitude region modulates the magnetosphere-ionospherethermosphere system during geomagnetic storm periods. One of the impacts of geomagnetic storm is the significant thermosphere temperature increment. This temperature increase is regulated by radiative cooling emissions via CO2 at 15 µm and NO 5.3 µm. We utilized CO2 15 µm radiative emissions observations by SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) instrument onboard NASA’s TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics) satellite, to investigate the diurnal response during September 7-9, 2017 storm. The volume emission rate of CO2 emission, in the altitude of 100-140 km, is integrated vertically to estimate cooling flux. The geomagnetic storm induced a significant enhancement in CO2 emission across all latitudes and altitudes considered. While the storm typically has stronger impacts on high latitudes, the response in CO2 emission was notably stronger in mid and low latitude regions both during day and night. The nighttime value is generally lower, with a faster response time, as compared to the day time counterpart. Further a strong hemispheric asymmetry is observed both during day and night. This study highlights a complex interplay of solar and magnetospheric influences on the diurnal variation of Earth's upper atmosphere.

Resolving Some Longstanding Issues in Far Ultraviolet Remote Sensing: A Self‐Consistent Analysis of the GUVI and SEE Observations on the TIMED Mission

AbstractFar Ultraviolet (FUV) remote sensing has been used in aeronomy missions as a powerful means to measure the temperature and compositions in the upper atmospheres of terrestrial planets. However, despite decades of continual development, outstanding challenges remain in this field. Particularly, there is currently a lack of methods for the examination and improvement of the data products in FUV remote sensing. As a result, longstanding issues exist in many of those data products. Here we demonstrate that a self‐consistent analysis of multi‐band airglow observations in the spectral range of ∼120–180 nm can serve as a useful means for examination and improvement of the data products in FUV remote sensing. The Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) and Solar EUV Experiment (SEE) observations on the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics mission are used for the demonstration. Through a self‐consistent analysis, we reconcile the thermospheric column O/N2 density ratios that are retrieved respectively from the GUVI limb and disk scans, by numerically correcting a systematic offset between those observations. We also reconcile the models with the observed 121.6 and 130.4 nm emission that have shown large discrepancies in the literature. The self‐consistent analysis indicates that the SEE measurements of the solar spectral irradiance below ∼45 nm need to be scaled down by ∼25%, whereas the SEE measurements of the solar 121.6 and 130.4 nm fluxes are highly accurate, with errors less than ∼3%. Our results achieve unprecedented agreement (better than ∼5%) between models and observations and provide a novel method for data examination and improvement in FUV remote sensing.

Planetary Wave Modulation of Gravity Waves Over the Andes in 2016

AbstractThe Andes account for the largest source of orographic gravity waves (GWs) in the middle atmosphere. This results from persistent, strong zonal winds at the surface encountering the north‐south mountain chain, producing strong orographic lift, and resulting GWs. Here, we consider GWs in the stratosphere and mesosphere above the Andes as observed by the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size instrument, the Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment on the AIM satellite, and the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry instrument onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics satellite. GW variability is considered in the context of the location of the stratospheric wintertime westerly jet and planetary wave (PW) amplitude and phase. The occurrence of GWs in the middle and upper atmosphere depends not only on tropospheric sources, like the Andes, but also on the background winds through which they propagate. Results suggest that the propagation of GWs into the mesosphere is well correlated with winds throughout the middle and upper stratosphere. PWs cause the westerly jet to move over the Andes, resulting in an increase in GW amplitude throughout the middle and upper stratosphere. The evolution and variability of GWs are tied closely to the phase of the PW‐1 and are linked to PW‐2 when the PW amplitudes are sufficiently large. GW amplitude, as observed by all three data sets, increases in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere when the trough of the PW‐1 in the stratosphere is over the Andes.

Improved Thermosphere Mass Density Recovery During the 5 April 2010 Geomagnetic Storm by Assimilating NO Cooling Rates in a Coupled Thermosphere‐Ionosphere Model

AbstractThe recovery of thermosphere mass density following geomagnetic storms is a result of competing heating and cooling processes. Simulations often underestimate the speed of the recovery. In this study, for the first time, we report that assimilating the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry nitric oxide (NO) cooling rate profiles into a coupled thermosphere‐ionosphere model via the ensemble Kalman filter improves the thermosphere mass density recovery following a geomagnetic storm. This is due to the impact of the assimilation on both the cooling processes and the thermosphere circulation. The dynamical changes due to the assimilation include stronger upwelling and equatorial transport. These lead to an effective increase in NO at all altitudes at mid‐high latitudes, resulting in the improved recovery. The improved representation of cooling processes in the storm's main phase also results in improved >24 hr forecasts of the density recovery.

Impact of the February 3–4, 2022 geomagnetic storm on ionospheric S4 amplitude scintillation index: Observations and implications

The coincidental loss of 38 out of 49 SpaceX Starlink satellites during their launch on February 3, 2022, concurrent with two moderate geomagnetic storms, opens a unique window into the study of ionospheric irregularities and their potential impacts on Low Earth Orbit assets. This research provides evidence for the first time on the influence of Prompt Penetration Electric (PPE) fields and Disturbance Dynamo (DD) fields on the GNSS S4 amplitude scintillation indices of this particular geomagnetic storm, using observed variations in the distance of Equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly (EIA) crests and the O/N2 density ratio. By examining observations from the F7/C2 (FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2) mission, the NASA/GSFC’s OMNI data set, the TIMED/GUVI (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Global Ultraviolet Imager) O/N2 density ratio, and the GIM-TEC (Global Ionosphere Map of Total Electron Content) data, the study uncovers the complex dynamics of storm-induced irregularities and their correlation with suppressed S4 at low latitudes. It reveals the roles of PPE and DD in augmenting and mitigating S4 occurrences, respectively, during different storm phases. These findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of irregularity occurrence rates, scintillation effects, and geomagnetic storms across various longitudinal sectors, thereby providing a case study of changes to the scintillation environment during this moderate but high-profile geomagnetic event.

Hemispheric Asymmetry of the Annual and Semiannual Variation of Thermospheric Composition

AbstractWe examine hemispheric asymmetry of the annual and semiannual variation of the ratio of O and N2 concentrations (O/N2) using observations by the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) instrument onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics satellite and compare them with Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere‐ionosphere eXtension (WACCM‐X) model simulations. We found that in the equatorial region, the “equinox peaks” of the observed O/N2 are near the end of March and October, and the two annual lows are near the beginning of July and January. Compared to the equatorial region, in the northern hemisphere (NH) low latitudes, the first “equinox peak” clearly shifts toward the December solstice, whereas in the southern hemisphere (SH) low latitudes, the “equinox peaks” shift toward the June solstice (JS), forming the hemispheric asymmetry characteristics of the annual and semiannual variation. Seasonal variation of O/N2 shows no apparent phase variation with altitude, and the annual and semiannual pattern is consistent from year to year. WACCM‐X reproduces the observed annual and semiannual pattern in NH but in SH, it simulates an annual variation instead of the observed annual and semiannual variation. The largest discrepancy occurs near JS in the lower and middle thermosphere: the simulated O density has an annual high near JS in SH; the simulated N2 density has an annual high near JS in NH but a predominant annual low near JS in SH. These are not in the GUVI data. A weaker thermospheric meridional circulation in the winter hemisphere, or a reduced summer‐to‐winter latitudinal gradient of neutral temperature in WACCM‐X simulations would make model‐data comparisons more consistent.