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Modulation of the equatorial F‐region by the quasi‐16‐day planetary wave
Author(s) -
Pedatella N. M.,
Forbes J. M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2009gl037809
Subject(s) - tec , ionosphere , total electron content , daytime , altitude (triangle) , atmospheric sciences , latitude , dynamo , electron density , f region , physics , middle latitudes , local time , geophysics , electron , geology , geodesy , magnetic field , statistics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
In situ electron density measurements from the CHAMP satellite and global positioning system total electron content (TEC) observations are used to illustrate how quasi‐16‐day planetary wave activity influences the structure of the low‐latitude ionosphere. SABER temperature measurements reveal that quasi‐16‐day oscillations in the dynamo region (110 km) during the time interval of 1 December 2005 to 1 March 2006 are most dominant in the zonal mean. Enhancements in equatorial zonal mean temperatures in the E‐region are connected with enhancements at ±10–20° magnetic latitude in zonal mean CHAMP electron densities and TEC. At a near‐constant altitude of 350 km, the oscillations in daytime electron densities are greater than 40 percent of background levels. A local time effect is also observed in the planetary wave influence on the F‐region electron densities. These results demonstrate that vertically propagating planetary waves induce significant variability in the low‐latitude F‐region ionosphere and that these effects are seen at all longitudes.