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Altitude variations of ionospheric currents at auroral latitudes
Author(s) -
Kamide Y.,
Brekke Asgeir
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1029/93gl00335
Subject(s) - electrojet , ionosphere , altitude (triangle) , latitude , geology , equatorial electrojet , current (fluid) , geophysics , morning , atmospheric sciences , geodesy , earth's magnetic field , physics , oceanography , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , astronomy , magnetic field
On the basis of updated EISCAT experiments, the first full derivation of the ionospheric current density of the auroral electrojets at six different altitudes are presented. It is found that current vectors at different altitudes are quite different, although the eastward and westward currents prevail in the evening and morning sectors, respectively, once the currents are integrated over altitude. The eastward electrojet becomes almost northward whilst the westward electrojet becomes almost southward, at the highest altitude, 125 km, in this study. The physical implications of these characteristics are discussed.