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Intense dB/dt Variations Driven by Near‐Earth Bursty Bulk Flows (BBFs): A Case Study
Author(s) -
Wei Dong,
Dunlop Malcolm W.,
Yang Junying,
Dong Xiangcheng,
Yu Yiqun,
Wang Tieyan
Publication year - 2021
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 - 10.1029/2020gl091781
Subject(s) - substorm , magnetosphere , earth's magnetic field , geophysics , physics , geomagnetically induced current , ionosphere , magnetometer , geomagnetic storm , space weather , magnetic field , quantum mechanics
During geomagnetically disturbed times the surface geomagnetic field often changes abruptly, producing geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in a number of ground‐based systems. There are, however, few studies reporting GIC effects which are driven directly by bursty bulk flows (BBFs) in the inner magnetosphere. In this study, we investigate the characteristics and responses of the magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐ground system during the January 7, 2015 storm by using a multipoint approach which combines space‐borne measurements and ground magnetic observations. During the event, multiple BBFs are detected in the inner magnetosphere while the magnetic footprints of both magnetospheric and ionospheric satellites map to the same conjugate region surrounded by a group of magnetometer ground stations. It is suggested that the observed, localized substorm currents are caused by the observed magnetospheric BBFs, giving rise to intense geomagnetic perturbations. Our results provide direct evidence that the wide‐range of intense dB / dt (and dH / dt ) variations are associated with a large‐scale, substorm current system, driven by multiple BBFs.