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We consider 3-component records of the magnetic field strength with a time step of 1 min at 153 stations of the INTERMAGNET network for 31 years, 1991–2021. Data analysis is based on the calculation of pairwise correlation coefficients between wavelet coefficients in successive time windows 1 day long (1440 min counts). To describe the state of the magnetic field, the maxima of the average values of all pairwise correlation coefficients between stations were chosen, calculated over all detail levels of the wavelet decomposition and over all components of the magnetic field strength vector. The daily time series of such maxima is called wavelet correlation. The division of the network stations into 7 clusters is considered, and a time series of wavelet correlations is calculated for each cluster. In a sliding time window with a length of 365 days, correlation measures of synchronization of wavelet correlations from different clusters are calculated, which are compared with the strongest earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 8.5. For the global time series of wavelet correlations, the method of influence matrices is used to study the relationship between the maximum correlation responses to a change in the length of the day and a sequence of earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 7. As a result of the analysis, precursor effects are identified, and the important role of the Maule earthquake in Chile on February 27, 2010 in the behavior of the response of magnetic field for the preparation of strong seismic events is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the 25th solar activity peak has commenced, driving frequent geomagnetic storms and causing irregular disturbances in the global ionosphere, leading to the scintillation of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, consequently decreasing the accuracy of GPS positioning. Analyzing the patterns of global ionospheric scintillation and changes in GPS positioning accuracy caused by geomagnetic storms is crucial to mitigate the adverse effects of GPS positioning. Current research has primarily concentrated on analyzing the effects of geomagnetic storms on ionospheric scintillation disturbances and GPS positioning interference. However, there is a notable gap in studying the holistic impact of coronal mass ejections (CMEs)-driven geomagnetic storms on GPS performance as an integrated event complex. This study investigates the conditions under which a CME drives a severe geomagnetic storm to elucidate the space weather phenomena associated with CME-driven geomagnetic storms. The ionospheric scintillation induced by the geomagnetic storm is analyzed, while we also examine the accuracy variability in kinematic precision point positioning (PPP) and its possible leading reasons. The research findings suggest that factors such as a high-speed full-halo CME, a southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz, and high-speed solar wind contribute to the onset of this geomagnetic storm. Ionospheric scintillation and the decrease in positioning accuracy in low-latitude regions are less pronounced compared to mid- and high-latitude areas. Geomagnetic-storm-induced scintillation increases cycle slips, leading to a decrease in PPP accuracy. Even in the cases where geomagnetic storms do not induce ionospheric scintillation, positioning accuracy can still be affected by cycle slips, deterioration of the precision of the GPS measurements, data outages, and the decrease in the number of available satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate of the upper atmosphere, including the mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere, is changing. As data records are much more limited than in the lower atmosphere and solar variability becomes increasingly dominant at higher altitudes, accurate trend detection and attribution is not straightforward. Nonetheless, observations reliably indicate that, on average, the mesosphere has been cooling, the density in the thermosphere has been decreasing, and ionospheric layers have been shifting down. These global mean changes can be largely attributed to the increase in CO 2 concentration, which causes cooling and thermal contraction in the middle and upper atmosphere. The decline in thermosphere density is particularly relevant from a practical viewpoint, as this reduces atmospheric drag and thereby increases orbital lifetimes and the build-up of space debris. Long-term changes in the ionosphere can have further practical implications and are not only driven by the increase in CO 2 concentration, but also by changes in the Earth's magnetic field. The empirical models that are mostly used to inform applications in industry on the state of the upper atmosphere, as well as being widely used in science, do not yet properly account for long-term trends in the mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere. This is problematic when long-term future projections are needed or models rely strongly on older data. This review provides an overview of the main evidence of long-term trends observed in the mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere, together with the latest insights on what causes these trends. It is hoped that this may serve as a starting point to include long-term trends in (semi-) empirical models to benefit all users of these models. We also offer some thoughts on how this could be approached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spacecraft mission planning and operation, the attitude determination and control subsystem (ADCS) of a satellite provides information about the orientation of the satellite in the inertial reference frame. Furthermore, this subsystem produces the control actions required to adjust the orientation of the satellite, especially in the low-Earth orbit (LEO) regime. This paper focuses on the satellite's three-axis attitude control problem within the context of active and passive control, which includes detumbling control, pointing control, magnetic control, and attitude stabilization after solar panel wing deployment using magnetorquers as the primary actuators. The objective is to stabilize and reduce the angular rate while orienting the satellite to the desired attitude. The proposed satellite attitude control system (ACS) strategies are designed, developed, characterized, and verified. These strategies encompass the B-dot control algorithm for detumbling control along with pointing control and attitude stabilization after solar panel wing deployment. hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HiLs) tests are conducted to assess the performance of the satellite magnetorquer-based ACS in the presence of noise. These tests involve a relative Earth's magnetic field (EMF) generator in conjunction with SGP-4-based satellite orbital propagator high-level control software. Additionally, cascade proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and state-dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) controllers are implemented to generate sufficient torque using three-axis magnetorquers on a frictionless air-bearing platform. The platform is balanced to closely simulate the dynamic motion of a spacecraft in space. The testing includes a single initial condition and three inertia conditions for stabilization after solar panel wing deployment. Finally, the effectiveness of the cosimulation as a primary experiment through an integrated HiLs process is validated. This comprehensive approach confirms the control system's performance and its ability to meet mission requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A prototype of a machine-learned global dB/dt model is introduced using a multivariate LSTM network. • The LSTM model catches geomagnetic disturbances dB/dt ≥ 100 nT/min relatively well. • This model can be further developed to provide an advanced warning of GICs that typically comes with a significantly large dB/dt. Geomagnetically Induced currents (GICs) pose a potentially catastrophic threat to the safety and security of large-scale power distribution systems. Using a recurrent neural network, we predict high (≥60°) magnetic latitude (MLAT) and night side (06–18) magnetic local time (MLT) geomagnetic field disturbances (surface dB s /dt and vertical dB z /dt), the trigger of GICs, during a geomagnetic storms occurred on March 09, 2012. We use the high latitude geomagnetic field data from SuperMAG and the solar wind particle and magnetic field data from NASA-OMNIWeb. We divide the high latitude night side of Earth's globe into multiple sectors and obtain a time series of maximum geomagnetic disturbances observed in each sector. We use the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network technique sector by sector on both, the solar wind data and the sectored geomagnetic field disturbance (10° geomagnetic latitude, 1-hour MLT) time series obtained from SuperMAG. Each sector prediction is plotted on a polar map to reveal high latitude night side geomagnetic disturbance patterns. This high latitude nigh side model has great potential. With solar wind input at a Lagrangian-1 point, and geomagnetic field data from SuperMAG, it can predict the peak magnetic disturbance at any given sector for couple of hours in advance. Our machine learning techniques provide the best set of solar wind input that gives the best disturbance prediction. This paper presents a prototype of the global geomagnetic disturbance model with low-resolution spatial grids and a subset of potential solar wind input parameters. Once matured, the global magnetic disturbance model will be provided to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the role of gravity waves (GWs) generated from tropospheric convection in initiating multiple nighttime ionospheric anomalies over Srinagar, located at 34.1°N, 74.8°E, and 25.91°N MLAT. Optical airglow observations during a geomagnetic quiet night (Ap = 4) of 29–30 June 2021, show the presence of plasma depletion tilted by an angle of ∼14.9° from the geographic North, quasi-periodic south eastward moving wave (QPSEMW), onset of two electrified MSTIDs and generation of plasma depletion channel between two MSTID phase fronts at ∼250 km altitude. GWs originating from deep convection in troposphere are detected at ∼85 and ∼97 km altitudes in OH and 557 nm filters respectively. The GWs in both the filters are propagating northward with almost similar characteristics. The intrinsic time period and vertical wavelength of GWs is estimated to be ∼11 min and ∼53 km respectively. We also present the observational indications of localised upliftment of F-layer ionosphere by ∼38 km, possibly initiated by polarization electric field generated through secondary GWs. The penetration of secondary GWs, generated by the dissipation of convective GWs, beyond the altitude of 500 km is also seen. FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 RO data and SAMI3 model electron density suggest the occurrence of Sporadic-E (Es) layer at around 100 km altitude, caused by the negative gradient in eastward wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High anisotropy of geomagnetically trapped particles' fluxes requires utilization of a complex methodology for their reconstruction from in-flight measurements. For precise position-sensitive instruments operating in the event-by-event mode, a standard approach is the one originally developed for the SAMPEX/MAST experiment. It consists in calculation of the instrument's effective areas averaged over gyro-phase angle as a function of pitch angle of detected particles for detector's different orientations relative to the geomagnetic field vector. This orientation normally changes as the instrument moves in space. Moreover, some space vehicles bearing a measuring instrument may and do change their orientation during flight by rotation of the instrument or as a whole. Each possible orientation needs an independent calculation of effective areas for each possible pitch angle, which is usually done by means of Monte-Carlo simulation. Therefore, especially for sophisticated devices, the calculation of an accurate and representative response function (consisting of a set of effective areas) may involve a vast amount of computation. In this paper, we propose a simplified approach, which is based on the assumption that for an anisotropic flux, the angular sphere the particles come to the detector from can be split into solid angle domains, within which the flux can be treated as isotropic. This allows one to use much easier computed geometrical factor or acceptance of the instrument as the proportionality factor. This method suggests that it can be calculated with respect to registration of the particles from these domains (we call it partial acceptance). The main advantage of the presented method is that the whole set of partial acceptances for each instrument orientation relative to the geomagnetic field vector and for all available values of (equatorial) pitch-angle for this orientation can be obtained from one simulation sample (for the given energy) of isotropic flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Global behavior of the TEC anomalies are examined. • A TOI-like event observed at the SH midnight time. • Long-lasting longitude asymmetry of the TEC response. • Reconstructions of the observed TEC anomalies. This study examines the global behavior of the ionospheric TEC anomalies, i.e. their structures and temporal variability, during the initial, main and recovery phase of the geomagnetic storm occurring on 23–24 March 2023. For this purpose the global vertical TEC maps, generated by the NASA JPL IGS Ionosphere center, have been used and the geomagnetically forced anomalies have been presented in 2D (longitude-modip latitude) and polar maps. The main peculiar features of the TEC response could be summarized as: (i) the TOI-like event observed at the SH midnight hours during the main storm phase, and (ii) a clear longitude asymmetry between the TEC response at low and middle latitudes of the western and eastern hemispheres was seen; while the long-lasting positive response was evident for a full day in the western hemisphere the negative response or almost the lack of response was a characteristic of the eastern part. The study presented possible explanations of the above mentioned basic type of TEC anomalies by using the GUVY [O/N 2 ] ratio maps and geomagnetic data from eight magnetometric stations situated at low latitudes for the separation of the effect generated by the DDEF. An attempt was made the observed TEC response during different storm phases to be reproduced. The presented reconstructions described in almost perfect way the real TEC responses and the RMSE assessments provided clear evidence for this evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper implements new approaches introduced in regard to pre-earthquake geo-chemical activity that results in lithosphere-atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC). Specifically, stratospheric temperature anomaly as a result of precursory atmospheric gravity wave (AGW) activity in the stratosphere is studied. A new technique is developed based on the parameters a) daily average temperature ( T mean ), b) daily maximum temperature ( T max ), c) T mean averaged over altitude, d) T max averaged over altitude. The new approach is applied to six earthquakes of Iran as well as Tohoku earthquake. Detected Anomalies are analyzed and discussed. Possible new variations such as stratospheric cooling as a result of active geomagnetic conditions are determined. Geographical maps and spatial distribution of temperature anomalies are presented to comprehend the possible source of variation. Moreover, space-based ULF emission observed by an in situ electric field detector (EFD) on board of China Seismic-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) is presented as associated with 3 earthquakes that occurred in 2019. Detailed analysis of satellite overpass proximity to the earthquake epicenter, earthquake magnitude, and dates are examined and ULF anomalies associated with 3 magnetic field components are discussed. Finally, a systematic approach to be implemented using the new techniques in real time is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of geomagnetic field's H time series during quiet geomagnetic condition. • The H time series from high latitude region shows anti-persistent behaviour. • H time series of quiet geomagnetic condition shows multifractal characteristics. • Change in multifractal characteristics with latitude is observed. • The cause of multifractality is identified as long-range correlations. The generation of geomagnetic time series frequently involves intricate spatio-temporal dynamics, wherein nonlinearity and scaling emerge as pivotal mechanisms. The present work investigates the fractal properties of geomagnetic field, and its sources during quiet geomagnetic conditions, by analyzing the horizontal component data of 1 min resolution (H time series) from different latitude regions. Analysis using Auto Correlation Function (ACF), Power spectrum analysis (PSA), Rescaled range analysis (R/S) and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) gave indications of the presence of long-range correlations, fractal properties and scaling behaviour of quiet period H time series data. The strong q dependence of generalized Hurst exponent h(q) and scaling exponent Ʈ(q), obtained from the Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) method, confirmed the multifractal behaviour of quiet period H time series. The multifractal source analysis of the quiet period H time series with its shuffled and surrogate time series data revealed that, the multifractal characteristics are caused almost entirely by the long-range correlations between small and large fluctuations. The analysis of the latitudinal variations in the multifractal characteristics is also performed as a part of the work, by considering H time series belonging to various latitudes under almost same longitude. The observed decrease in the generalized Hurst exponent values with increase in latitude indicates the change in the multifractal characteristics of the time series with latitude. Also the work revealed that, the H time series from high latitude region shows anti-persistent behaviour, even when the H time series from observatories located at the low and mid latitude regions exhibiting persistent behaviour. The change in the persistence, anti-persistence behaviour can be related to the strength of Earth's magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution thermospheric mass density low Earth orbit (LEO)-based measurements are valuable for accurately estimating short-term atmospheric abrupt disturbances triggered by solar flux forcing. To investigate the enhancing status of solar cycle 25 between August 29 and December 31, 2020, we processed Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on (GRACE-FO) 10-s accelerometer-derived thermospheric mass density (TMD) measurements normalized at 500 km altitude by the NRLMSIS-2.0 empirical model. These 4-month enhancing disturbance observations suggest a shift from relative quiescence to a much more active solar phase, revealing unexpected dependencies on temporal and spatial characteristics. The results indicated that the dominant driver is solar extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) during this ascending phase. Density enhancement was symmetric in both hemispheres around the autumn equinox. After the equinox, the neutral density enhancement intensity in the Southern Hemisphere surpasses that in the Northern Hemisphere. Density maxima occurred from high to low latitudes, accompanied by a 2–3 h time lag. The Wygant function was applied to model the response to solar wind geomagnetic field changes and quantify the impact of geomagnetic activities on upper atmosphere density, verifying the time lag of density disturbances. All these findings could potentially improve our understanding of the solar cycle and LEO orbital drag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• neutron monitor measurements provide information on statement of geomagnetic field. • strong cosmic ray anisotropy observed inside magnetic cloud. • atmospheric temperature variations are reconstructed using muon telescope data. We investigated the conditions of the heliosphere, magnetosphere, and atmosphere from cosmic ray (CR) observations during the 2018 Aug 25–26 strong geomagnetic storm. The analysis involved the global survey (GS) and the spectrographic global survey (SGS) methods created and developed at the Yu.G. Shafer Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Aeronomy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ShICRA SB RAS) and at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ISTP SB RAS). Also, in our analysis, we used the data on direct measurements of the interplanetary medium parameters from the known OMNI database, CR measurements at the GOES geostationary satellites, from the global network of neutron monitors and muon detectors, from the Sayan spectrograph, and from the A.I. Kuzmin Yakutsk spectrograph of CR. When analyzing this event, the SGS enabled to obtain the data on the orientation of the mean interplanetary magnetic field, on the geomagnetic cutoff rigidity and its variations during the geomagnetic storm. Also, this method allowed us to estimate the bulk temperature over the point of recording CR, the ring current and the magnetopause current, as well as their contributions to the Dst-index, and also to establish differential rigidity spectra of CR at different stages of the magnetic storm evolution. Through the GS method, we determined the value and the directions for the first two spherical harmonics of CR distribution, and the direction to their anisotropy source. The results obtained through two different global survey methods are shown to be agree and mutually supplement each other. Using the Yakutsk spectrograph records enabled to determine the index for the power energy spectrum of variations in CR intensity during the investigated event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space weather variations can significantly affect ionospheric electron density, which can, in turn, adversely affect various navigational and communication technologies. One such phenomenon is the prompt penetration electric field. The convective electric field from a magnetospheric origin penetrates the lower ionosphere during a geomagnetic storm. The electric field penetrating the ionosphere can challenge space-based technologies. Thus, understanding the convectional electric field from higher latitudes to the low-latitudinal region during geomagnetic disturbance is critical. The ionosphere over the Indian region consists of equatorial and low latitude dynamics, such as equatorial ionization anomaly, that are highly dynamic even during the quiet days. Therefore, understanding the effects of prompt penetration electric field observed in the Equatorial Electrojet is of utmost importance over the Indian region. In the current study, two geomagnetic storms, the St. Patrick's Day storm of 17th March 2015 and another low intense storm of 8th June 2014, were chosen to understand the effects of PPEF over equatorial ionization anomaly. The ionospheric density was enhanced during the relatively less intense geomagnetic storm compared to the St. Patrick's Day storm. In these two events, large-scale ionospheric irregularities were observed from ROTI values during the local daytime hours, but no ionospheric scintillation was detected (S4 index). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model for the distribution of the ionospheric potential which drives the ionospheric currents closing the electric currents from/to the atmosphere is constructed. It is a part of the global electric circuit (GEC). Only the internal electric fields and currents generated by thunderstorms are studied, and without any magnetospheric or ionospheric generators. The atmospheric conductivity profiles with altitude are empirically determined, and the topography of the Earth's surface is taken into account. A two-dimensional approximation of the ionospheric conductor is based on high conductivity along the geomagnetic field. The model of the global distribution of thunderstorms obtained from the ground-based World Wide Lightning Location Network is used as a proxy for the electric currents to the ionosphere from the atmosphere above thunderstorm regions. The global distributions of the electric potential in the ionosphere are calculated for twelve months during a year with low solar activity. The designed models contain the equatorial electrojets. There are day-time electrojets, the strengths of which are up to 200 A, and night-time ones (which are up to only half this value), while the total current of the GEC is taken equal between 1.5 and 2.5 kA in our model to satisfy the Carnegie data for the simulated dates and UT. The results are presented as diagrams of the currents in the electrojets depending on the geomagnetic longitude and month for 04 and 18 UT. These times are chosen to be the times of minimum and maximum fair weather electric field in accordance with the Carnegie results. The diagrams could help us to choose optimal conditions for measurements of the magnetic perturbations observed on the ground or by satellites to find the electrojets of the GEC which are obtained in our simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, occurrences of amplitude scintillations during the ascending phase of the 25th solar cycle from November 2020 to March 2023 are studied over the equatorial anomaly region Varanasi (latitude 25.31° N, longitude 82.97° E, magnetic dip Lat. 16.2° N). Multi-frequency Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver is used to study the occurrence of amplitude scintillation index S 4. Diurnal, monthly, and seasonal occurrence characteristics of the S 4 index are presented. The scintillation occurrence is observed during nighttime and daytime but is more probable during nighttime. It is observed that maximum scintillation occurred during the equinox season for the solar moderate period whereas the highest occurrence is in summer during the low solar activity period. The highest scintillation occurrences during the summer solstice for a period of low solar activity condition is rare and could be attributed to the gravity waves (GWs) generation due to the weather phenomena in the lower atmosphere. GWs could act as a seeding perturbation in electron density, affecting the growth of ionospheric irregularities through Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The solar flux index (F10.7) is compared with the percentage occurrence of scintillation for the low and moderate solar activity periods to observe the effect of solar activity on scintillation occurrences. Overall, the scintillation occurrence increases with increasing solar activity. To study the effect of geomagnetic storms on scintillations, we have considered seven moderate and intense geomagnetic storms grouped in three categories that occurred during solar cycle 25. It is observed that the occurrence of scintillations is enhanced for the storms with the recovery phase starting at post-midnight. The probability of occurrence of scintillation during the night hours is decreased when the geomagnetic storm occurs during the daytime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation of correlation between ROTI and S 4 index is examined by using GPS L1 and L5 signals over an Indian low latitude station, Waltair (17.73° N, 83.37° E) during the period from 2015 to 2017. The effect of geomagnetic storms on the correlation between ROTI and S 4 index is the main focus of the present study. The influence of satellite elevation angle and signal frequency on the correlation between ROTI and S 4 index is also investigated during different seasons and geomagnetic conditions. The correlation is found to vary between 0.28 and 0.63 for elevation angles above 30⁰ and between 0.56 and 0.87 for the elevation angles above 50⁰. The correlation coefficient values are decreasing with solar activity from 2015 to 2017 during quiet and disturbed geomagnetic periods. From the analysis on the seasonal correlation between ROTI and S 4 index, it is found that solar activity dependent seasonal correlation is observed for both GPS L1 and L5 signals over lower elevation angle 30⁰. The correlation between ROTI and S 4 index is increasing over higher elevation angles and for lower signal frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transionospheric radio signals might undergo random modulations of their amplitude and phase caused by scattering on irregular structures in the ionosphere. These scintillation phenomena are highly anisotropic, depend on local geomagnetic field configuaration and on the relative position of the signal receiver and scattering irregularity. We derive analytical expressions of anisotropic amplitude and phase scintillation indices using the model of a thin random phase screen. These results extend the classical derivations of [C. Rino, Radio Sci. 14 , 1135 (1979)] to a larger domain of applicability including very slant propagation links of the radio wave signals. The derived generalization is based on the assumption that the ionospheric scattering layer has a spherical symmetry as opposed to the original Rino's assumption of a plan-parallel ionospheric layer. The derived scintillation indices have the simpler analytical form, determine the regions of enhanced scintillation by taking into account the finite curvature of the Earth and of the ionospheric shell, and are divergence-free for large zenith angles of propagation links. For the illustration we discuss the geometric enhancement of scintillation for communication links via a geostationary beacon satellite over the equator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we consider Bi-directional Long Short Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) model based Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) prediction over Thanjavur (Geographic 10.72˚ N, 79.01˚ E, Geomagnetic 2.34˚ N, 152.19˚ E) Global Positioning System (GPS) station. This station is located at low latitude Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) region of 2˚ geomagnetic dip latitude and has unique ionospheric dynamics. In this region, the VTEC prediction is crucial and challenging for space weather and the Sixth Generation (6G) Internet of Space (IoS) application to support early warning systems and future spatial data transmissions. A Deep Learning (DL) model based on Bi-LSTM was developed and trained for F10.7 and Dst index for predicting the VTEC. This study highlights the prediction of VTEC for any day that includes solstice and equinox time frames. The Bi-LSTM has an improvement of 28 % in mean absolute error (MAE), 48% in mean square error (MSE) and 24% in root mean square error (RMSE) as compared to the conventional Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network. Hence, this Bi-LSTM model can be helpful to predict the VTEC in the EIA region and may be helpful to extrapolate over the unmeasured grid region of ocean and land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Airglow images showed multiple MSTID bands involved in two dynamic interactions and were compared with TEC from 67 nearby GNSS receivers. • One of the two bands involved in the 1st interaction decayed possibly due to penetration of more background plasma from the ambient medium. • The remaining band interacted with another band which resulted in its gradual dissipation and significant rotation of the other band. In this study, we report a special event of nighttime southwestward propagating medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) observed in O(1D) 630.0 nm airglow images from an all-sky imager at Hanle (32.7°N, 78.9°E; Mlat. ∼ 24.1°N), Leh Ladakh, India on a geomagnetically quiet (Ap = 7) night of 15 September 2018. The time sequence of airglow images unveiled two dynamic interactions between multiple dark bands of MSTID. Following the first interaction, one of the interacting bands decayed possibly due to the entrance of plasma from the ambient higher plasma density region. Shortly after this interaction, the other interacting dark band was involved in the second interaction with a third dark band which resulted in the co-alignment of the two interacting bands. Following this co-alignment, one of the bands started rotating prominently that led to further separation of these two co-aligned bands. These changes in the MSTID phase fronts (bands) are explained based on the development of the polarization electric fields arising out of the interactions. This investigation combines the all-sky 630.0 nm airglow imaging observations with TEC maps constructed, for the first time over the Indian sector, from 67 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements to capture the MSTID over this region. The investigation reveals a few important features of self-interactions of MSTID bands over the geomagnetic low-mid latitude transition region which is important to assess their impact over low latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong geomagnetic storm of class G3 that occurred on 03 November 2021 (Dst min = −118 nT, Kp = 8) was the first of this class recorded during the ascending phase of solar cycle 25. In this study, we examined the response of the ionosphere during the geomagnetic storm period from 02–06 November 2021 using the Total Electron Content (TEC) observations from a chain of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver stations in five longitudinal sectors i.e, Asian, East-African, West-African, South-American, and Pacific-west sectors, in the low-latitudes and space-based Swarm satellite electron density, N e and TEC measurements. The Rate of Change of TEC Index (ROTI) was derived from the ground and space based TEC measurements to examine the occurrence of ionospheric irregularities. The Rate of change of electron density index (RODI) was also derived from Swarm N e measurements to identify the occurrence of ionospheric irregularities at Swarm altitudes. A positive ionospheric storm effect was observed in all the longitudinal sectors considered in this study. A clear hemispherical asymmetry, with higher VTEC in the northern hemisphere was observed. The determining factors for ionospheric responses to this storm are; local time of the storm's onset, local time of storm's minimum SYM-H, and changes in thermospheric O / N 2 ratio. These geomagnetic storm effects were discussed in terms of the Prompt Penetration Electric Field (PPEF) storm induced wind lifting effect and Disturbance Dynamo Electric Field (DDEF). The geomagnetic storm inhibited the occurrence of ionospheric irregularities in all the sectors, during the main phase, except for three IGS receiver stations in South American sector. Overall, a longitudinal dependence of the enhancement/inhibition of ionospheric irregularities was observed. The generation of post-sunset irregularities was attributed to the local time occurrence of maximum ring current, PPEF and DDEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Formation of low magnetic field region (dent) in Earth's magnetosphere during intense storm. • Altitude and mirror points of charged particles get affected by magnetic field hump and dent. • The dent in magnetic field is formed closer to the Earth as strength of ring current increases. The development of the ring current through a westward circulation of energetic ions around the Earth in the low latitude region during geomagnetic storms has been known to us for the past several decades. The symmetric part of the ring current exists in the form of a ring around the Earth at a distance of ≈ 3–7 R e from the center of the Earth. The location and strength of the ring current is mainly controlled by the interplanetary solar wind conditions. The presence of such external current forms the additional mini magnetic dipole in the vicinity of the Earth's space, which eventually affects the geomagnetic field configuration. The magnetic field produced due to the ring current opposes the geomagnetic field inside and adds to the geomagnetic field outside the location of the ring current. This scenario has been modelled in this paper by using a circular loop of uniform current around the Earth to represent the ring current flow around the Earth. The aim of the present study is to understand the overall changes in the magnetic field and its influence on the radiation belt energetic (MeV range) electrons and protons during a geomagnetic storm. The model calculations suggest the formation of low and high magnetic field regions (here referred to as dent and hump) in the Earth's magnetosphere due to intense westward ring current. The size and position of these low and high magnetic field regions are controlled by the strength and location of the ring current. It is found that both the altitudinal reach and mirror point of the bouncing-drifting radiation belt energetic particles are significantly affected by the presence of the dent and the hump in the magnetic field driven by the ring current. The decrease in ground magnetic field of 1700 nT or more, which is similar to the geomagnetic field variation observed during the historic Carrington event, is possible with the peak ring current strength of 20–30 MA situated at a distance of 2 R e or less from the center of the Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical destruction and fatalities caused by earthquake events has compelled scientists to develop a method for predicting Earthquakes. It is almost impossible to detect earthquake events due to limited seismometer sensitivity; therefore, a non-seismological predictor was established by using the Ultra-Low Frequency (ULF) magnetic field as a potential earthquake precursor. ULF waves respond to magnetic activity that are transferred to Earth by solar winds, and become ultimately linked to earthquake events. The statistical correlation analysis is used between ULF Pc4 and Pc5 pulsation, solar wind parameters; IMF- component (Bz), solar wind speed (Vsw), solar wind pressure (Psw), solar wind input energy (IEsw), and near-equator geomagnetic storm (SYM/H). Through a multiple regression modelled approach, the relationship between solar wind (SW) parameters (IMF-Bz, Vsw, Psw, IEsw) and near-equator geomagnetic index (SYM/H) with ULF wave pulsations (Pc4 - Pc5) prior to an earthquake (EQ) event (magnitude, M = 3.0–6.0, depth, d < 100 km, epicentre distance from magnetometer station, r < 100 km) was determined. The solar wind and geomagnetic index parameters were obtained from OMNIWeb, where ULF pulsations (Pc4 - Pc5) were computed from the magnetometer Davao station (Philippines) (7.00 o N, 125.40 o E) located in a low latitude region. The ULF Pc5 band demonstrated the best fit for the ULF earthquake precursor model in relation to solar wind parameters (Vsw, Psw) and geomagnetic index (SYM/H) with R 2 and R 2-adjusted values of (R 2 =0.5011, R 2-adj = 0.4940). The Vsw, Psw and SYM/H are major factors that contribute to the emission of ULF Pc5 prior to an earthquake, as determined by the stepwise regression method. This ULF earthquake precursor model is intended to address the problem seismologists face when predicting seismic events by assisting non-seismologists in locating the most effective EM-ULF wave bands in solar-terrestrial activities for detecting seismic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A moderate geomagnetic storm could trigger unseasonal post-sunset EPBs. • The periodic EPBs, with spacings of ∼ 650–870 km, extended to middle latitudes. • Enhanced F layer upward drifts alone may not be enough to trigger unseasonal EPBs. In the East and Southeast Asia, equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) mainly occur at post-sunset in equinoctial months. On 7–8 July 2022, a moderate geomagnetic storm occurred, with minimum Dst of −85 nT. This storm could trigger unseasonal post-sunset EPBs over the East/Southeast Asian sector. Observations from GNSS TEC/scintillation receivers, VHF coherent radar and ionosonde show that on 7 July, a few clusters of EPBs, which caused strong amplitude scintillations and significant TEC fluctuations, occurred over a wide latitude range, from low to middle latitudes up to ∼ 32°N. The EPB irregularities at middle latitudes drifted westward, with velocities of about 97 m/s. Before the generation of EPBs, apparent background ionospheric disturbances were detected. An abrupt rise of ionospheric F layer, with upward drifts of about 33 m/s was observed near sunset at low latitudes. It is suggested that the moderate geomagnetic storm was the main reason for the generation of unseasonal post-sunset EPBs. The prompt penetration of eastward electric field caused by the geomagnetic storm could lead to the abrupt rise of F layer near sunset and promote the growth of Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The background ionospheric disturbance could act as a seeding role for the unseasonal EPBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed research on the effect of geomagnetic storms (GSs) on air crash investigations, which is a very important space weather event and could be the main reason for most aircraft accidents, especially unexplained accidents, has not been done by this time. In this study, we investigated the effect of GSs depending on seasonal changes, solar activity, and geomagnetic activity (GA) over 115 years of aircraft accidents from the decreasing phase of the Solar Cycle (SC) 15 to the increasing phase of SC 25. In our analysis, the accident rates of 1959 air crash events correspond to 68 %, 22 %, 8 %, and 2 % due to mechanical and pilotage reasons, unknown reasons, bad weather conditions, and turbulence that might be related to GSs are obtained for latitudes between ± 10⁰ ≤ φ ≤ ±90⁰ in the northern and southern hemispheres. The MATLAB R2018a Programming Language is used to determine and draw all data in our statistical analyses. Nevertheless, we reconstructed the GA indices such as Dst, K p , A p , aa , and am for 1919–2023 by using the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Forecasting Model for years without observations and therefore missing data. The first important result is that the number of aircraft accidents increased in the decreasing phases of solar activity cycles (SACs) depending on the effective structure of the coronal holes rather than increasing phases. The second important result is that the highest number of accidents occurred in the equinoxes in March and September (and mostly at the beginning of October) while the lower number of accidents was seen in the solstices such as June and December. The third important result is that the rate of accidents depends on how many storms were seen in the decreasing phase of SACs. The SC maximum intensity value that reaches the higher number, or even the duration of the SC will not affect aircraft accidents directly. The GA indices do not follow a regular pattern according to the SC shows that we should look at the geomagnetic structure of the intensity of three elements of a magnetic field of Earth as D (Declination), H (Horizontal), and z (Vertical), and therefore their intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ) and Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) are two distinct ionospheric phenomena which are caused by the horizontal configuration of the geomagnetic field at the equator. On the day side of the earth, these activities are controlled by a common zonal electric field, and their interactions must be researched for a number of scientific reasons. In this study, we used multiple Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations at Al Wajh, Sola village, Nama, and Sheba in 2012 to investigate the correlations between the instantaneous and integrated equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and the variations of vertical total electron content (vTEC) at the northern crest of EIA in the East Africa and Middle East longitudinal sector. The equinoctial and solstitial months have the highest and lowest values of the monthly mean EEJ and vTEC, respectively, and as a result, both parameters show a semi-annual variability. The monthly mean vTEC also demonstrates equinoctial and solstitial asymmetries, resulting in vTEC values that are higher at the September equinox and the December solstice than at the March equinox and the June solstice, respectively. These asymmetries have been also observed in the composition of [ O ] / [ N 2 ] ratio. On days with strong counter electrojet (CEJ), EEJ peaks are smaller and occur later than on days with weak CEJ. Additionally, when CEJ is high, EIA is suppressed and vTEC exhibits low values at all crest points. In the early hours (10:00–12:00 Lt), Nama and Sheb showed higher correlation coefficient values with significant levels than Alwj and Sola. According to the correlation analysis, the anomaly crest develops at the lower latitude stations between 10:00 and 12:00 Lt and then moves to the higher latitude stations later. Generally, the correlations are higher and more significant in the equinoxes than the solstices. The correlations between integrated EEJ (IEEJ) and vTEC were also found to be strong and significant at the lower latitude stations throughout all seasons. These findings suggest that both the instantaneous and integrated EEJ can be used as a proxy for the eastward zonal equatorial electric field and must be considered in regional and global models of total electron content of equatorial and low latitude ionosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study is carried out of the radial (across the magnetic shells) structure of quasi-monochromatic high-m Alfvén oscillations observed by the RBSP-A satellite on October 23, 2012 at 22.00–22.30 UT. To determine the radial structure of these oscillations, the "phase portraits" method is used, based on the analysis of the phase shift between transverse components of the magnetic field of oscillations. It is shown that the observed oscillations can be explained by poloidal Alfvén waves generated on two resonance surfaces located on both sides of the local maximum in the radial distribution of the Alfvén speed. In the direction along the geomagnetic field lines, these waves are the fundamental harmonic of standing Alfvén waves. In the radial direction, they are waves running in opposite directions from two poloidal resonance surfaces towards two other (toroidal) resonance surfaces. The polarization of the waves between these resonance surfaces changes from poloidal to toroidal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geomagnetic response to strong X-ray emissions was presented. • Innovative simultaneous observations of the main GMF level and its fluctuations. • The levels of the main GMF and its fluctuations were measured at midlatitudes. • X-class solar flares induced crochet effect & GMF quasi-sinusoidal variations. • The observed results aligned with theoretical magnetic disturbance estimates. This study analyzes the variations in the levels of the Earth's magnetic field and its fluctuations in the range of periods of 1–1000 s that accompanied X-class solar flare on 6, 7, and 10 September 2017. Variations of the main Geomagnetic field (GMF) and the fluctuations in the range of periods 1–1000 s were measured by the magnetometer (located at 49.93°N, 36.95°E). The X9.3-class solar flare (SF) on 6 September 2017 induced substantial decreases in X-, Y-, and Z-component levels (−30 nT, −60 nT, and −15 nT, respectively), i.e., crochet effect. These reductions were restored within approximately 60, 150, and 5 min. Additionally, measurements from a magnetometer-fluxmeter (located at 49.64°N, 36.93°E) revealed a temporary sharp decrease in X- (approximately −3 nT) and Y-component (approximately −6 nT) fluctuations, followed by a subsequent increase/restoration lasting 12–15 min. The X8.2 solar flare that occurred on 10 September induced a minor reduction (<10 nT) in the levels of all local GMF components. Concurrently, it triggered a 1.5- to 2-fold amplification of quasi-sinusoidal oscillations in the Y-component fluctuations, characterized by a period of ∼10–12 min and a duration of ∼60 min. The study also discusses the mechanism of variations in the level of the GMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coincidental loss of 38 out of 49 SpaceX Starlink satellites during their launch on February 3, 2022, concurrent with two moderate geomagnetic storms, opens a unique window into the study of ionospheric irregularities and their potential impacts on Low Earth Orbit assets. This research provides evidence for the first time on the influence of Prompt Penetration Electric (PPE) fields and Disturbance Dynamo (DD) fields on the GNSS S4 amplitude scintillation indices of this particular geomagnetic storm, using observed variations in the distance of Equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly (EIA) crests and the O / N 2 density ratio. By examining observations from the F7/C2 (FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2) mission, the NASA/GSFC's OMNI data set, the TIMED/GUVI (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Global Ultraviolet Imager) O / N 2 density ratio, and the GIM-TEC (Global Ionosphere Map of Total Electron Content) data, the study uncovers the complex dynamics of storm-induced irregularities and their correlation with suppressed S4 at low latitudes. It reveals the roles of PPE and DD in augmenting and mitigating S4 occurrences, respectively, during different storm phases. These findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of irregularity occurrence rates, scintillation effects, and geomagnetic storms across various longitudinal sectors, thereby providing a case study of changes to the scintillation environment during this moderate but high-profile geomagnetic event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The single event effect of FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 recorded by the COTS GPS receiver. • The WSRs accumulate faster at higher altitude. • The WSRs occur concentratedly in the SAA and the drift of it can be estimated. • The border of the SAA could be described through the geomagnetic field strength. The FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 (F7/C2) satellite constellation, a joint Taiwan-US collaboration mission, was launched on 25 June 2019. Following the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC, the F7/C2 mission aims to provide global users the next-generation global navigation satellite system (GNSS) radio occultation data. The mission consists of six identical small satellites with an inclination angle of 24°, launched to the parking orbit of 720 km, and then transferred to the mission orbit of 550 km. Each satellite bus is equipped with two commercial off-the-shelf global positioning system receivers manufactured by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. for positioning, navigation, and timing functions. This receiver generates "GPS Receiver (bus GPSR) Warm Start Requested (WSR)" messages after commissioning, which could be considered as a kind of single event effect (SEE). More than 7000 WSR events have been recorded in 3 years after launch, providing another opportunity to investigate the SEE with the commercial off-the-shelf bus GPSR. In addition, the F7/C2 mission is the first satellite constellation that allows scientists to investigate the SEE using the same constellation at different altitudes of Low-Earth orbit. This study investigates and discusses the cumulative rate, distribution of WSRs, and their relationships between altitude and geomagnetic field. The statistical method is applied to define a warning area of the high probability occurring the SEE of this kind of component based on the geomagnetic field, whose corresponding strength is around 21,200/20,550 nT and close to the South Atlantic Anomaly area. Moreover, the relationships with space weather, including the disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field (Kp index) and the solar activity (F10.7 index), are also analyzed and reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have many applications in surveying, geodesy, and everyday life, so the accuracy of observations is very important. To have accurate results, many errors should be corrected, including ionospheric errors. Estimating the Differential Code Bias (DCB) and Total Electron Content (TEC) is essential to reduce ionospheric errors. This study's main aim is to determine how the combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) and GLONASS (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System) observations affect the estimation of DCB of satellites (SDCB) and receivers (RDCB) under the effects of geomagnetic storms and seasonal changes. The MATLAB-based software GR_DCB (GPS and GLONASS DCB estimation) was developed to estimate the SDCB and RDCB based on GPS and GLONASS observations. The results were tested using data from the International GNSS Service (IGS) network from nine stations and compared to previous studies to assess the effectiveness of the developed code. The findings are consistent with IGS products and more precise than previous studies that relied solely on GPS observations. An analysis of the effects of the geomagnetic storm on DCB variance is considered for June 22–23, 2015. During the geomagnetic storm, all GPS and GLONASS stations exhibited a fall in RDCB, led by a modest increase in some stations. The SDCB had no observed change on storm days compared with quiet days. The seasonal change affected GPS and GLONASS stations RDCB. Winter, which has the highest RDCB mean values, is also the season when a deviation in RDCB is the greatest. Autumn and Summer had the lowest dispersion in RDCB over the season and the lowest RDCB values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines geomagnetic storm conditions for attitude estimation of a spacecraft having magnetometers with various measurement noise levels at low Earth orbit. The geomagnetic field models are introduced by taking the external field effects into account. It is important to discuss the limitations of the models and the measurements that are being used. Therefore, the external effects are evaluated under different noise levels of magnetometer to determine and discuss the suppression level caused by the noise levels in a general framework. External magnetic field effects are examined by the ratio to noise under various magnetometer standard deviations up to 300 nT. An analysis is carried out for attitude estimation using Kalman-type filter in order to determine what noise level is acceptable on a particular sensor with a specified attitude requirement, magnetic field model, and space weather conditions. This study indicates that external magnetic fields are vital for establishing attitude processes based on magnetometers with varying noise on which the spacecraft relies for accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of fractal properties of Geomagnetic field using MFDFA method. • The geomagnetic activity affects the fractal properties of H time series. • Generalized Hurst Exponent h(q) shows q dependence; showing multifractal nature. • Multifractal spectrum shows a left-side truncation and width decreases with activity. • Geomagnetic field variations are characterized by fractional Brownian motion. Depending on the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field, solar disturbances induce perturbations in the geomagnetic field as observed by magnetometers on the ground. This study examines the signatures of fractal property of the geomagnetic field's horizontal component (H time series), as measured by the ground-based magnetometer at Bangui [BNG] (4.33°N, 18.57°E). The Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) method is employed in the study, as it can explore higher-dimensional fractal and multifractal characteristics hidden in the time series. By incorporating MF-DFA, we investigated the changes in the fractal properties of H time series under various geomagnetic conditions, and quantified using Hurst exponent (H) and generalized Hurst exponent h(q). A clear difference in the behaviour of H component during quiet, moderate and intense storm periods is revealed through the analysis of the scaling exponents for different levels of geomagnetic activity. The generalized Hurst exponent h(q) values are found to be higher during the quiet periods, compared to moderate and severe storms periods. It is also observed that both the storm periods and geomagnetically quiet periods are characterized by fractional Brownian motion. The strong q-dependence of h(q) and multifractal scaling exponent τ q indicates strong multifractal characteristics of the geomagnetic field data. Thus, the present study reveals that the degree of multifractality is more for the time series of quiet period compared to the one belongs to storm period. Also our results show that the scaling properties of the H time series possess a long-range correlation, showing a long-term persistence of the previous state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative role of the prompt penetration of electric fields and neutral winds in the distribution of ionospheric plasma during geomagnetic storms over the Indian ionosphere region is studied in this paper. Four geomagnetic storms with similar onset times but of varying strengths have been analyzed with the help of data from ground-based magnetometers, and the ACE, GPS, and TIMED satellites. The strength and magnitude of the prompt penetration electric field were inferred from the magnetic field variations of the horizontal component of the magnetic field (Δ H) at Tirunelveli, a dip-equatorial station, using the ground-based magnetometers. The electron density distribution over the Indian ionospheric region was quantified using GPS-derived vertical total electron content (VTEC). Signatures of prompt penetration electric field were present for all the storms considered whose main phase was during the daytime. It is noted that as the strength of the penetration electric field increases, the latitudinal extent to which the electron density gets distributed also increases. The gradient in electron density extends even up to Shimla (a mid-latitude station) during a severe geomagnetic storm. The gradient was less for moderate geomagnetic storms. Since during the geomagnetic storm, a factor that controls electron density modulation is the neutral wind, its contribution is analyzed with the help of the thermospheric O/N2 ratio, measured by the global ultraviolet imager (GUVI) instrument, onboard NASA's TIMED satellite. The observed increase in the O/N 2 ratio does not correspond with the increase in the VTEC. We surmise that during the first day of the storm, the penetrating electric field is an essential factor that controls the electron density distribution in the low-latitude region. Later the plasma density distribution is controlled mainly by the thermospheric wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The east–west electric field and the characterized horizontal configuration of the geomagnetic fields around the equatorial region cause electron redistribution in the ionospheric bottomside F- region. This electric field E in turn causes the flow of current in a narrow band around this region called Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ) current. The paper discusses the robust least square modelling approach for modelling some selected ionospheric profile parameters below the maximum height of the F2 layer from the computed EEJ values at Jicamarca station (12°S, 76.9 °W) in the Southern American sector and Ilorin (8.50°N, 4.68°E) in the West African sector. The modelled parameters are the maximum electron density, NmF2, the maximum height, hmF2 and the thickness parameter, B0 of the F2- layer which were then compared with the recent ionospheric international standard model (IRI-2016). The proposed new model for ionospheric parameters based on ground-based magnetic field data at specific locations improved the model fit for hmF2 with RMSE value ∼ 30 km, an improvement to the IRI hmF2 model options. In addition, the derived NmF2 model performs poorly as compared to the IRI URSI and CCIR model options for NmF2. The model was however able to reproduce the temporal changes in the NmF2, for example, the semi-annual variation in the observational NmF2 value. The specific local features that were not fully reproduced in the IRI B0 model options can be seen in the derived model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we studied the occurrence of ionospheric irregularities over Ethiopia as the consequence of the intense geomagnetic storm of March 2015 and June 2015. Total Electron Content (TEC) data obtained from six Ethiopian GPS reciever stations and those data were used to derive the ionospheric irregularities proxy indices, e.g.,rate of change of TEC (ROT) and ROT index (ROTI). These indices were used to characterize the intensity of the fluctuation of total electron content. ROTI was used as a criterion of ionospheric irregularities that took place during the storm. These indices were characterized along side with the disturbance storm time (Dst),the Interplanetary Electric Field (IEFy) and the SYM-H index (high resolution version of Dst) from ground-based magnetometers to see the effect of geomagnetic storm on horizontal component of geomagnetic field. Irregularities manifested in the form of fluctuations in TEC. Prompt penetration of electric field (PPEF) modulated the behaviour of irregularities during the initial and recovery phases of the geomagnetic storms. As a result,it was observed that the irregularities in the ionosphere of Ethiopia was in the range from weak to moderate. These irregularities generally occurred during the initial and recovery phases of the storm at all selected stations. The effect of electric field is found to depend on the local time at which the IMF Bz turned into southward. Therefore,east - west fluctuating Ey in March storm main phase is associated with suppression of irregularities in all stations and eastward Ey in the main phase of June 2015 is associated with small scale irregularity formation. The generation (inhibition) of irregularities is related to the effect of eastward (westward) storm time electric field disturbance dynamo electric fields and prompt penetration electric fields that created favourable (unfavourable) conditions for the generation of irregularities by uplifting (lowering) the F region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method to define a background for the ionospheric electron density (N e) is proposed, making use of mid-latitude measurements under different solar conditions from the Langmuir Probes onboard CHAMP and three identical Swarm satellites. In particular, CHAMP measurements during the years 2004 and 2009, and Swarm observations during 2016 and 2017 have been considered in the 15°-wide latitudinal belt from 35°N to 50°N, and from 0° to 360° in longitude. CHAMP/Swarm in-situ N e measurements have been then used to check and compare this new defined background with the one computed directly from IRI-2016 N e output at satellite altitude. The distributions of the relative deviations between the two backgrounds, and of positive and negative anomalies (i.e., N e variations from each background greater than 30%) with respect to the geomagnetic activity levels have been evaluated under each investigated condition, namely year/satellite, season, night-time or noon hours. Results of this comparison highlight a general overestimation of N e from IRI during noon hours, while a better agreement between the two backgrounds is found during night-time. However, an underestimation of IRI with respect to Swarm-derived background is found for 2017 data. Finally, the analysis of 2004 plasma data suggests that the IRI-2016 model can be used as a background during periods characterized by high levels of geomagnetic activity. Due to the difficulties to construct a background for satellite data, the proposed method can be considered an useful tool for analyses of electron density variations at the heights of the satellites in Low Earth Orbits (LEO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Low-latitude topside ionosphere mismodelling made by NeQuick. • Improving of the NeQuick topside representation through COSMIC-1 data. • Different topside tests with different values of the NeQuick topside parameters. This paper deals with the well-known mismodelling characterizing the NeQuick topside ionosphere at low latitudes, i.e., the fact that the model keeps the two electron density humps typical of the equatorial ionization anomaly as the altitude increases from the height of the F2-layer electron density peak, without merging them in a single peak above the geomagnetic equator as expected. This is because the NeQuick topside ionosphere modelling strongly depends on several bottomside ionosphere parameters, which causes an essential coupling between the topside and the bottomside that in many cases behave differently. This means that this kind of topside ionosphere modelling may lead to inaccurate results, as it is the maintenance at low latitudes of the electron density double hump structure in the topside as the altitude increases. On the base of some recently published results, this paper analyzes the role played by the three NeQuick scale height parameters H 0 , g and r in the description of the electron density above the F2 layer peak height. The results of this work pave the way for a possible solution of this low-latitude NeQuick topside ionosphere mismodelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the first results of a newly installed ground-based station Alex Magnetometer and Telluric Station (AMTS) located in Alexandria governorate in Egypt (geographic coordinate: 30° 51.68′ N, 29° 33.67′ E). The station consists of a fluxgate digital magnetometer and a two-channel digital Long Period Telluric Recorder (LPTR). The station commenced operation on October 12th, 2021, by providing real-time data of the geoelectric and geomagnetic field components. Despite the low solar activity, the AMTS detected several signatures of geomagnetic storms. An illustrative case study was conducted on the strong geomagnetic storm of November 4th, 2021. The magnetic field components recorded by the station demonstrated a prompt increase synchronized with the Sudden Storm Commencement (SSC) captured by the ACE satellite arriving at 19:42 UT on November 3rd, 2021. The three geomagnetic field components recorded by the AMTS during the storm were consistent with the nearby INTERMAGNET stations. The digital fluxgate magnetometer's high sampling frequency (400 Hz) and the LPTR with a sampling frequency (1 Hz), allowed us to capture all ULF pulsations. The structural pearl-shaped Pc1 pulsation was obtained in all phases of the geomagnetic storm with repetitive oscillations in the main storm phase. The wavelet analysis of micropulsations recorded at AMTS showed a high coherence with the nearby-four INTERMAGNET stations demonstrating high data integrity and reliability. The magnetometer and telluric measurements at the AMTS will fill the data gap in the northern section of Africa and allow us to study geoelectric and geomagnetic micropulsations in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Including low-cost variometers can improve sparse geomagnetic field interpolation • Interpretable equivalent current basis functions are presented for mid-latitudes • The adapted interpolation scheme can be used directly by utilities for GIC modelling Space weather and its impact on infrastructure presents a clear risk in the modern era, as evidenced by the adverse effects of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) in power networks. To model GICs, ground-based geomagnetic field (B-field) measurements are critical and need to be available in the region of interest. A challenge globally lies in the sparse distribution of magnetometer arrays, which are seldom located near critical power network nodes. Interpolation of the geomagnetic field (B-field) is often needed, with the spherical elementary current system (SECS) approach developed for high-latitude regions favoured. We adapt this interpolation scheme to include low-cost variometers to interpolate dB / dt directly and increase interpolation accuracy. A further adaptation to the scheme is to physically represent the mid-latitude context where most power networks and pipelines lie. The driving current systems in these regions differ from their high-latitude counterparts. Using a physics-consistent mid-latitude version of SECS, we show why previous implementations in Southern Africa are incorrect but still result in useful interpolation. The scope of these adaptations not only has direct application to research in general, but also to utilities, where effective low-cost instrumentation can be used to improve GIC modelling accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technique has been developed that will transfer the Tsyganenko 1989 modulation for cutoff rigidity values to different epochs of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF). The technique separates the effect of the Tsyganenko external currents on cutoff rigidity values previously calculated at 450 km using the 1995 IGRF such that these effects can be applied to other models of the IGRF. The Tsyganenko modulation effects were then applied to the 2020 internal field model. Two improvements to the original set of calculations include a three-point longitudinal smoothing to reduce the unevenness of the penumbral effects and a replacement of the original −100 Dst values for Kp values > 5 to −50 Dst increments. These changes have extended the original library of 88 world grids to a total of 128 world grids of cutoff rigidity values that are applicable for all Kp values (0–9 +) and Dst values to −500 nT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cosmic rays measured through neutron monitors on Earth's surface have a strong correlation with the number of sunspots on the solar photosphere. Other indices that affect the dynamics of the heliosphere and distortions in the Earth's geomagnetic field also exhibit significant correlations. Typically, studies focus on these indices individually or combine some into a smaller set of estimators. This study uses Structural Equation Modeling to examine relationships between a broad range of parameters of solar dynamics and cosmic ray intensity (measured by the Moscow neutron monitor) across several solar cycles from 1976 to present day. The study also classifies these indices into three distinct contributions: Photosphere, Solar Wind and Terrestrial Geomagnetic Field Distortions. Regression models were built for all solar cycles and the complete cosmic ray series from 1976 to the present, resulting in good estimators with calculated p-values below 0.05 (95% confidence). Relationships among all contributions were determined using their estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar activities may disturb the geomagnetic field and impact the power grid via geomagnetically induced currents. We study active and reactive powers as well as the power factor of Iran's power grid transformers (230 kV and 400 kV) and their correlations with geomagnetic disturbances indices (SYM-H < −30 nT and sizable horizontal geomagnetic field fluctuation) from 19 March 2018 to 20 March 2020. Out of 128,627 cases with a transformer power factor of less than 0.7, we observe that 12,112 samples correlated with SYM-H. Our investigation shows that about 4 percent of two years, the SYM-H has values less than −30 nT. Analysis of high-performance transformers (a power factor greater than 0.7 at 95 percent of working time) shows at least a 55 percent correlation of power factor less than 0.7 and SYM-H less than −30 nT. We observe that the transformers' power factor of Rafsanjan-Kerman and Sarcheshmeh-Kerman (wye connection on 230 kV side) substations decreased to less than 0.7 and correlated with SYM-H. We show that the reactive power of the Sefidrood-Guilan and Shahid Beheshti-Guilan transformers (wye configurations) increased considerably on 9 January 2020 and positively correlated with SYM-H may produce large GICs at this part of the grid. We observe that the increase in reactive power at the Shahid Beheshti-Guilan substation correlated with the sizable changes in the horizontal field was recorded by the Jaipur station. However, more details (temperature and current of transformers) need records to estimate the impact of geomagnetic induction current on the power grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic torquers are attitude control devices used in spacecraft systems, and extensive research has been conducted on the attitude control of such spacecraft systems equipped with magnetic torquers. In this paper, a control law for spin spacecraft systems is proposed. Unlike existing control laws that switch between the spin rate and spin axis orientation control, the proposed angular momentum control law (AMCL) simultaneously provides feedback control for the spin rate and spin axis orientation based on the angular momentum error from the target. The steady-state and asymptotic behaviors of the angular momentum error are analyzed. In the analysis, both the saturated and unsaturated magnetic moments are considered. A testbed with magnetic torquers and a geomagnetic field simulator are developed to experimentally evaluate the performance of the AMCL. The geomagnetic field simulator is constructed using three Helmholtz coils to generate a time-variant magnetic field similar to that in orbit. The AMCL is used to conduct two ground experiments on the spin rate and spin axis orientation control. The effectiveness of the AMCL and behavior of the testbed are experimentally evaluated by comparing and analyzing the experimental and numerical simulation results. Consequently, the AMCL is found to achieve the required states in the experiments, and the asymptotic and steady-state behaviors appear to be consistent with the estimations made by numerical simulations. In conclusion, the proposed AMCL can appropriately control the spin motion of a spacecraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionospheric behaviour is often monitored using total electron content (TEC) measurements from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. However, the GNSS receivers are sparse over the East African low-latitude region, resulting in spatio-temporal gaps. In an attempt to address this challenge, the possibility of constructing East African ionospheric maps using Kriging method was investigated in this study. Prior to constructing the maps, the behaviour of the low-latitude ionosphere over this region was characterised using TEC data for 2014 and 2018 during quiet and disturbed conditions. The results show that the highest values of TEC exist between 10:00 UT and 13:00 UT and the minimum values exist at around 03:00 UT. The seasonal trend of TEC reveals that the highest values of TEC occur during March equinox and the lowest during June solstice. The post-sunset TEC often show enhancements between 18:00 UT and 21:00 UT. The enhancements were more pronounced in 2014 than in 2018, especially during the equinoctial months for stations at the crest of the equatorial ionisation anomaly region. These enhancements occurred about an hour earlier at MAL2 than at ADIS during March and September, 2014. The spatial variation of TEC over the East African region was analysed by fitting different semivariogram models. The results reveal that the best semivariogram that describes the spatial variation of TEC over the East African low-latitude region is the Gaussian model. Further analysis shows that the spatial variation of TEC is larger in the meridional direction than in the zonal direction. The Gaussian semivariogram model was then used to construct the TEC maps over the region. The TEC maps were validated using TEC derived from GNSS receivers. The results show very high positive correlation with correlation coefficients between 0.9360 and 0.9970. This suggests that the TEC maps generated by the Kriging interpolation method can be used as good estimates of the GPS-derived TEC at the unmeasured grid points over the region. Therefore, the maps can be used to fill the gaps that exist in the TEC data over the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Results of ionosphere observation during geospace storm on 25 September 2016 over Kharkiv (Ukraine) are presented. • The Kharkiv incoherent scatter radar, digital ionosonde and magnetometer-fluxmeter were used for this. • Geospace storm led to changes in the spatial structure of the ionosphere. • Geospace storm led to significant restructuring of thermal and dynamic state of the ionosphere. Instrumental observations of variations in the level of the geomagnetic field and ionospheric parameters were conducted during a weak geospace storm on September 25, 2016. It was found that a moderate magnetic storm was accompanied by variations in the level of the H component of the geomagnetic field up to 20–30 nT, as well as variations in the level of fluctuations of the horizontal components of the geomagnetic field up to ±(2–3) nT. It was revealed that the ionospheric storm was three-phase, mostly moderate. The decrease in the electron density reached a factor of 1.5, and its increase reached a factor of 2.2. The increase in the electron temperature during the negative phase of ionospheric storm did not exceed 200–300 K, while its increase during the positive phase of ionospheric storm reached 400–500 K. The ion temperature variations were within ±100 K. During the negative phases of the ionospheric storm, individual deviations in the vertical plasma drift velocity from those on a geomagnetically quiet day were observed both in the direction of decreasing the downward drift velocity (increasing the upward drift velocity at high altitudes) and vice versa. Significant (17–53 m/s) deviations in velocity variations towards positive values (decrease of downward and increase of upward drift velocity), accompanied by the rise of the F2 layer, after significant changing in the zonal component of the magnetospheric electric field (from –2 to 3.5 mV/m), contributed to the increase in the electron density and to the appearance of the positive phase of the ionospheric storm. During the positive phase, the increase in the velocity of downward plasma drift reached 9–20 m/s at altitudes above 450 km. The negative phases of the ionospheric storm were formed due to an increase in the electron and ion temperatures and a decrease in the O/N2 ratio during the storm. The generation of ionospheric storm positive phase at mid-latitudes apparently was caused by several mechanisms at once: a penetrating electric field, a meridional wind directed toward the equator, and downward plasma flows in the protonosphere. The phases of the ionospheric storm were accompanied by significant variations in the dynamic and thermal processes in the ionosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron density measurements obtained from China Seismo‐Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) and Swarm-B can play an increasingly important role in the study of ionosphere above F2 peak height. This study presented a comprehensive comparison of electron density products obtained from Langmuir probe mounted on CSES and Swarm-B with ionospheric tomography for a whole year period of 2019. CSES was fully compared with Swarm-B on a global scale, including both absolute and relative differences, and a new index called NFI was developed to better quantify the similarity between two latitudinal profiles of electron density. CSES and Swarm-B were then compared with tomography respectively in four regions, roughly located in America, Europe, Australia and China. Results indicated that CSES data are consistent with Swarm-B, as NFI values exceed 0.6 for most of the analyses. Tomography and Swarm-B were found to have a good agreement as their biases are less than 0.2 × 105 el/cm3 in general. For the comparison between CSES and tomography, the bias increased to around 0.6 × 105 el/cm3 but the standard deviation changed slightly, validating the underestimation of electron density by CSES. The spatiotemporal comparisons of CSES and Swarm-B with tomography showed that: 1) the differences in electron density were relatively low in middle latitudes and increased rapidly in the regions of equatorial ionization anomaly; 2) Swarm-B has a better consistent with tomography than CSES, but both are capable of detecting ionosphere anomalies such as midlatitude arcs; and 3) CSES and Swarm-B both can capture the seasonal changes of electron density, while their values are basically smaller than those from tomography in Spring and Summer months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Model predicts diurnal, seasonal and geomagnetic activity dependence of variability. • Ionospheric variability is mainly explained by atmospheric and geomagnetic activity. • Some features of nighttime variability have not received a proper explanation. The paper presents an analysis of the ionospheric variability as a function of local time, month, and geomagnetic activity level. The 2003–2020 dataset of peak electron densities (NmF2) from the Irkutsk DPS-4 Digisonde (52.3°N, 104.3°E) was converted into the dataset of the NmF2 disturbances (ΔNmF2) representing the relative (percentage) deviations of the NmF2 from the 27-day running median. The ΔNmF2 dataset was used to calculate root mean square values of ΔNmF2 (σNmF2) by 27-day running averaging. These σNmF2 values were considered as a measure of ionospheric variability. The σNmF2 as function of local time, day of year, and year was the input for building the local empirical model of ionospheric variability based on the linear regression of σNmF2 on the 27-day average daily Ap-index of geomagnetic activity. The paper demonstrates the diurnal-seasonal variations in σNmF2 under low geomagnetic activity (linear regression intercept) as well as the rate of increase/decrease in σNmF2 with increasing Ap (linear regression slope). The obtained diurnal, seasonal, and geomagnetic activity behavior of σNmF2 is compared with previous studies of ionospheric variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that time variations in the ring current and auroral electrojets in 2015, during which three major magnetic storms (MSs) occurred, are recorded in several specific ways by ground magnetometers. Specifically, we show that the time variations in magnetic field intensity have power-law wavelet spectra. The variations in ring current intensity are detected in geomagnetic field measurements of ground stations at magnetic mid-latitudes between λ = - 50 ° and + 50 °. We confirmed the results of Balasis et al. (2006), who had shown that the Dst index wavelet spectrum follows a power law of the form f - β , where f is the frequency, and β is the exponent of the power law, by applying the same wavelet analysis to the SYM-H index version of the Dst index, and also to ground magnetic field measurements. Balasis et al. (2006) also showed that the critical exponent β of the power law, obtains values greater than 2 (or equivalently that the Hurst exponent H > 0.5), shortly before the onset and during the main phase of the storms. Here, using wavelet transforms on the Earth's magnetic field as measured at different magnetic latitudes (MLAT), we showed that at mid-geomagnetic latitudes, where the Earth's magnetic field is determined mainly by the ring current, the resulting Hurst exponent is greater than 0.5 several hours before and during magnetic storms. Geomagnetic field variation at higher magnetic latitudes between λ = + 50 ° and + 73 ° , also show power-law wavelet spectra. However, here we find a more complex dependence with two power-law exponents. We interpret this double power law as the effect of both the ring current and the auroral electrojets. Finally, for polar latitudes, between λ = + 73 ° and + 85 ° , we find the same complex dependence with two power-law exponents. Our results show that the geomagnetic field at auroral latitudes has much lower power and very different wavelet spectra compared to the geomagnetic field at ranges of lower magnetic latitude. Our results show how wavelet-based measures of ground geomagnetic variations reflect the time evolution of several magnetospheric current systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sun cubE onE (SEE) is a 12U CubeSat mission proposed for a phase A/B study to the Italian Space Agency that will investigate Gamma and X-ray fluxes and ultraviolet (UV) solar emission to support studies in Sun-Earth interaction and Space Weather from LEO. More in detail, SEE's primary goals are to measure the flares emission from soft-X to Gamma ray energy range and to monitor the solar activity in the Fraunhofer Mg II doublet at 280 nm, taking advantage of a full disk imager payload. The Gamma and X-ray fluxes will be studied with unprecedented temporal resolution and with a multi-wavelength approach thanks to the combined use of silicon photodiode and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) -based detectors. The flare spectrum will be explored from the keV to the MeV range of energies by the same payload, and with a cadence up to 10 kHz and with single-photon detection capabilities to unveil the sources of the solar flares. The energy range covers the same bands used by GOES satellites, which are the standard bands for flare magnitude definition. At the same time SiPM detectors combined with scintillators allow to cover the non-thermal bremsstrahlung emission in the gamma energy range. Given its UV imaging capabilities, SEE will be a key space asset to support detailed studies on solar activity, especially in relation to ultraviolet radiation which strongly interacts with the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere, and in relation to space safety, included in the field of human space exploration. The main goal for the UV payload is to study the evolution of the solar UV emission in the Mg II band at two different time scales: yearly variations along the solar cycle and transient variations during flare events. The Mg II index is commonly used as a proxy of the solar activity in the Sun-as-a-star paradigm, in which solar irradiance variations in the UV correlate with the variations in stratospheric ozone concentrations and other physical parameters of the Earth high atmosphere. SEE data will be used together with space and ground-based observatories that provide Solar data (e.g. Solar Orbiter, IRIS, GONG, TSST), high energy particle fluxes (e.g. GOES, MAXI, CSES) and geomagnetic data in a multi-instrument/multi-wavelength/multi-messenger approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Superposed epoch SEA with the zero epoch time t 0 taken at earthquake EQ for spotless Sun. • The most striking decay of geomagnetic Hpo index is observed with SEA at EQ time t 0. • Intensity of TEC disturbance W EQ index is also greater prior and after t 0 than at EQ time t 0. We investigate the geomagnetic and ionospheric effects of seismic activity during 1954 Sun spotless days (SSL) from 1995 to 2020. Two subsets of earthquakes (EQ) are evaluated for 676 events observed with the depth D1 ≤ 30 km and 1278 events with D2 > 30 km and the total set SSL. Newly developed 1 h geomagnetic index Hpo and the ionospheric W EQ index are used for the comparisons with the daily peak earthquake. The ionosphere W EQ index is derived at the EQ epicenter from JPL GIM-TEC map within the cell of 2.5°×5°, in latitude φ and longitude λ surrounding the epicenter at radius of about 200 km. We use the method of superposed epoch with the zero epoch time t 0 taken at EQ to extract peak values of Hpo and W EQ during t 0 -24 h ≤ t < t 0 (preEQ) and t 0 < t ≤ t 0 + 24 h (postEQ). It is found that the magnitude of Hpo(t 0) is less that the both peaks of Hpo(preEQ) and Hpo(postEQ) in 91 % of events independent of EQ's depth. Similar effect is observed with the peak of the positive/negative ionosphere indices and the absolute values of |W(preEQ)| and |W(postEQ)| the both exceeding |W EQ | in 77 % of events. The seismic activity tends to increase towards the solar minimum when SSLs occur. Our results provide evidence that EQ-related geomagnetic and ionospheric activities experience decline of intensity at the time of EQ under SSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]