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Storm‐time penetration to low latitudes of magnetospheric‐ionospheric convection and convection‐driven thermospheric winds
Author(s) -
Reddy C. A.,
Mayr H. G.
Publication year - 1998
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 - 10.1029/98gl02334
Subject(s) - convection , ionosphere , atmospheric sciences , geophysics , geology , latitude , f region , geomagnetic storm , physics , plasma , meteorology , solar wind , geodesy , quantum mechanics
From DE‐2 satellite measurements during two magnetic storms, we show that (i) the magnetospheric convection‐driven east‐west ion flows of high velocities (1400 m/s) penetrate to magnetic latitudes as low as 30°, with larger velocities (2000–3000 m/s) appearing at 45°–50° latitudes, and (ii) high velocity (300–640 m/s) thermospheric winds appear in association with the above ion flows. The similarity of the latitude structures and time evolutions of the ion and neutral motions indicates that the zonal winds are driven by magnetospheric‐ionospheric convection through ion drag. These velocities of the convection‐driven ion flows and winds at such low latitudes are much larger than those reported from observations or predicted by current models.