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Morphology of ionospheric F 2 region variability associated with sudden stratospheric warmings
Author(s) -
Gupta Sumedha,
Upadhayaya A. K.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2017ja024059
Subject(s) - ionosphere , ionosonde , atmospheric sciences , sudden stratospheric warming , climatology , latitude , earth's magnetic field , middle latitudes , geology , environmental science , physics , stratosphere , electron density , geophysics , geodesy , electron , polar vortex , quantum mechanics , magnetic field
The effect of sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) on the F 2 region ionosphere has been extensively analyzed for the major event of year 2009, apart from a few reports on other major and minor events. Morphology of ionospheric responses during SSW can be better comprehended by analyzing such warming events under different solar, geomagnetic, and meteorological conditions. We investigate the features of F 2 region variability following the SSW events of 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, using ionosonde data from the Asian region covering a broad latitudinal range from 26.6°N to 45.1°N. We find perceptible ionospheric variations in electron densities during these warming events which is accompanied by a large variation of ~117% within enhancements, as compared to a meagre variation of ~11% within depressions, during these events. We also examine 6 months data at these latitudes and longitudes and find that the maximum and minimum variations in F 2 layer critical frequency are observed during each SSW period. The influence of quasi‐stationary 16 day planetary waves is seen during these SSW events. Further, a recently proposed parameter “SSW integrated strength” by Vieira et al. (2017) to characterize SSW event with respect to ionosphere is also examined. It is seen that it does not fit well for these seven SSW events at these latitudes and longitudes.