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In this paper the daytime vertical E → × B → drift velocity in the F-region of the equatorial ionosphere was estimated from the magnetic effect of the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) in West African sector for September equinoxes in 1993 during solar cycle 22 and in 2013 during solar cycle 24. Geomagnetic data recorded during the International Equatorial Electrojet Year (IEEY) from 1993 to 1994 and the ongoing AMBER (African Meridian B-field Education and Research) program since 2008 were used. The vertical drift velocity was inferred from the EEJ contribution ( Δ H ) in the geomagnetic field horizontal component. The IEEY data were used to examine the seasonal variations of the daytime vertical drift velocity. The noontime seasonal averages are Vd = 10.95 m / s and Vd = 9.46 m / s respectively for March and September equinoxes, and Vd = 8.75 m / s and Vd = 8.27 m / s for December and June solstices. The daytime vertical drift velocity was found to be larger in equinoxes than in solstices. The dependence of the daytime vertical drift velocity on solar cycle was also shown by comparing the results of September equinox in 1993 and 2013. The drift velocity of 9.5 m/s in 1993 is significantly weaker than that of 24.5 m/s in 2013. This strong difference in Vd reflects the level of solar cycle between 1993 when the mean F10.7 = 109.86 sfu and 2013 when the mean F10.7 = 122.55 sfu.

International audience; On 21-22 June 2015, three consecutive interplanetary shocks slammed into the Earth's magnetosphere. Immediately after the third shock at 18:36 UT on 22 June, marked by an exceptional sudden storm commencement with an amplitude of Delta SYM-H = similar to 106 nT, a major geomagnetic storm commenced. In the present study, a multi-instrument approach comprising observations, data analysis, and modeling is used to examine the global ionospheric response. Results show that enhanced storm time processes produced major total electron content (TEC) variations at different latitudes, longitudes, and phases of the storm. A closer inspection of the TEC observations reveals strong longitudinal and hemispherical asymmetry. In addition, multiple equatorward and poleward propagating traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) were detected in the TEC data. Equatorward propagating TIDs are consistent with vertical neutral winds simulated from Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model; however, poleward TIDs were not reproduced in the model. We find that a combination of driving processes including enhanced high-latitude injection, prompt penetration electric fields, disturbance dynamo effect, neutral winds, and composition changes were acting at different stages of the storm

It has been well documented that the lunar tidal waves can modulate the ionospheric electrodynamics and create a visible influence on the equatorial electrojet (EEJ). The lunar tide influence gets intensified around noon, primarily during new and full Moon periods. However, the longitudinal, seasonal and solar cycle variability in the lunar tide influence on ionospheric current systems is not well understood yet. In order to investigate this, 17 years (1998–2014) of extensive magnetometer observations at four longitudinal sectors (western American, western and eastern African, and Asian) have been analyzed. All observations performed during magnetically active periods (Kp>3) have been excluded for this study to eliminate storm contributions to the geomagnetic field variation at the geomagnetic equator. This study's quantitative analysis revealed significant longitudinal, seasonal and solar cycle dependence of the lunar tide influence on the equatorial electrojet.

An analysis of the occurrence of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) around the world during the 2015 St. Patrick's Day geomagnetic storm is presented. A network of 12 Global Positioning System receivers spanning from South America to Southeast Asia was used, in addition to colocated VHF receivers at three stations and four nearby ionosondes. The suppression of postsunset EPBs was observed across most longitudes over 2 days. The EPB observations were compared to calculations of the linear Rayleigh-Taylor growth rate using coupled thermosphere-ionosphere modeling, which successfully modeled the transition of favorable EPB growth from postsunset to postmidnight hours during the storm. The mechanisms behind the growth of postmidnight EPBs during this storm were investigated. While the latter stages of postmidnight EPB growth were found to be dominated by disturbance dynamo effects, the initial stages of postmidnight EPB growth close to local midnight were found to be controlled by the higher altitudes of the plasma (i.e., the gravity term). Modeling and observations revealed that during the storm the ionospheric plasma was redistributed to higher altitudes in the low-latitude region, which made the plasma more susceptible to Rayleigh-Taylor growth prior to the dominance of the disturbance dynamo in the eventual generation of postmidnight EPBs.

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) caused by interplanetary shocks represent a serious space weather threat to modern technological infrastructure. The arrival of interplanetary shocks drives magnetosphere and ionosphere current systems, which then induce electric currents at ground level. The impact of these currents at high latitudes has been extensively researched, but the magnetic equator has been largely overlooked. In this paper, we investigate the potential effects of interplanetary shocks on the equatorial region and demonstrate that their magnetic signature is amplified by the equatorial electrojet. This local amplification substantially increases the region's susceptibility to GICs. Importantly, this result applies to both geomagnetic storms and quiet periods and thus represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of adverse space weather impacts on technological infrastructure.

This paper presents first observations of poleward traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) during strong geomagnetic conditions over the African sector. By analyzing different data sets we have observed both positive and negative ionospheric responses during the storm period of 08–10 March 2012. Considering the African region as a whole, three longitudinal sectors were strategically selected to establish the entire regional response. On both sides of the geomagnetic equator, results show poleward shift in peak total electron content (TEC) enhancements/depletions at different times which are associated to large-scale TIDs. The observed phenomena are linked to the global ionospheric response and electrodynamics. The understanding has been established using data from International GNSS Service receiver network, radio occultation electron density profiles, derived E×B drift measurements from magnetometer observations and regional ground-based and satellite data. Contrary to other related studies, generated regional TEC perturbation maps were not enough to show obvious directions of the large-scale TIDs due to insufficient data over the northern hemispheric part of the African sector. There appears to be a switch between positive and negative storm phases during the same storm period especially in the Southern Hemisphere part of the African region where “enough” data were available. However, a detailed analysis revealed that the positive storm phase corresponded to the expansion of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) toward some parts of midlatitude regions (and possibly with the contribution from low-latitude electrodynamics associated to equatorial electrojet), while the other part recorded a negative storm phase due to storm-induced changes from the auroral origin. We have observed a simultaneous occurrence of both poleward and equatorward propagating TIDs over the African sector during the same geomagnetic storm period. Our results show that short-lived large-scale TIDs are possibly launched by the equatorial electrojet, while the EIA expansion contributes (through modulation) to the poleward propagation of the disturbances. Temporal variation of TEC perturbations on a storm day over the entire African sector showed the existence of large-scale TIDs during the main and recovery phases which can travel poleward up to 20° latitude. The amplitudes of the TIDs have range ±2 total electron content unit, 1 TECU = 1016 el m−2, period of 2 h and virtual velocities of 250 ± 59–750 ± 95 m/s in midlatitude regions and up to 990 ± 65 m/s within the EIA region.

The equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), inferred from the electron density profile, was used to study the ionospheric effect of 11 March 2011, 06 April 2011, 09 March 2012 and 01 October 2012 geomagnetic storms in the East African sector. The electron density profile was reconstructed from slant total electron content (sTEC) measurements using statistical linear inversion method. The sTEC measurements were recorded by a chain of ten ground-based GPS receivers deployed in the East African region in the latitude range of 6° S–20° N GeoLat (15.29° S–10.62° N geomagnetic latitude). The analysis of the effect of the storms on the EIA has demonstrated that the effect could be positive or negative. The sudden positive effects of the EIA, in terms of increasing the peak and widening the width, during storm events of 06 April 2011, 09 March 2012 and 01 October 2012 were observed dominantly due to prompt penetration electric fields to the magnetic equator, which were caused by a southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field ( B z ). The prolonged effects after the onset of the storm were attributed to disturbance dynamo electric field due to the storm-time neutral wind circulation. The depletion on the electron density profile during 11 March 2011 storm was due to a decrease in [O] to [ N 2 ] ratio in the thermosphere composition.

During stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) periods large changes in the low-latitude vertical drift have been observed at Jicamarca as well as in other longitudinal sectors. In general, a strengthening of the daytime maximum vertical drift with a shift from prenoon to the afternoon is observed. During the January 2013 stratospheric warming significant longitudinal differences in the equatorial vertical drift were observed. At Jicamarca the previously reported SSW behavior prevails; however, no shift of the daytime maximum drift was exhibited in the African sector. Using the National Center for Atmospheric Research thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere electrodynamics general circulation model (TIME-GCM) the possible causes for the longitudinal difference are examined. The timing of the strong SSW effect in the vertical drift (15–20 January) coincides with moderate geomagnetic activity. The simulation indicates that approximately half of the daytime vertical drift increase in the American sector may be related to the moderate geophysical conditions (Kp = 4) with the effect being negligible in the African sector. The simulation suggests that the wind dynamo accounts for approximately 50% of the daytime vertical drift in the American sector and almost 100% in the African sector. The simulation agrees with previous findings that the migrating solar tides and the semidiurnal westward propagating tide with zonal wave number 1 (SW1) mainly contribute to the daytime wind dynamo and vertical drift. Numerical experiments suggest that the neutral wind and the geomagnetic main field contribute to the presence (absence) of a local time shift in the daytime maximum drift in the American (African) sector.

We present the characteristics of the EIA in the East African sector inferred from ground-based GPS receivers via ionospheric tomography during the year 2012. For the analysis, we developed and used a 2D ionospheric tomography imaging software based on Bayesian inversion approach. To reconstruct ionospheric electron density form slant Total Electron Content (sTEC) measurements, we selected a chain of ten ground-based GPS receivers with stations’ codes and geomagnetic coordinates: ARMI ( 3.03 ° S , 109.29 ° E ), DEBK ( 4.32 ° N , 109.48 ° E ), ASOS ( 1.14 ° N , 106.16 ° E ), NEGE ( 3.60 ° S , 111.35 ° E ), SHIS ( 3.26 ° N , 110.62 ° E ), ASAB ( 4.91 ° N , 114.34 ° E ), SHEB ( 7.36 ° N , 110.60 ° E ), EBBE ( 9.54 ° S , 104.10 ° E ), DODM ( 16.03 ° S , 109.04 ° E ) & NAMA ( 11.49 ° N , 113.60 ° E ). The temporal, spatial and storm-time characteristics of the EIA and the hourly, day-to-day and seasonal variations of the maximum electron density of F2 region (NmF2) at 15.29°S geomagnetic latitude are presented. We found that the magnitude of the peak and the width/thickness of the EIA pronounced during the equinox and weakened during the solstice seasons at 2100 LT. It is also observed that the EIA persisted for longer time in equinox season than the solstice season. The spatial appearance of the northern and southern anomalies are observed starting from 6.12 ° N and 10 ° S respectively along geomagnetic latitude during equinox season. The EIA is localized between 180 km and 450 km along the altitude during December solstice. The analysis on the NmF2 demonstrated a significant dependence on local time, day and season of the year. We also investigated the storm response of the EIA for the magnetic storm of Day Of the Year (DOY) 274–276. It is observed that the disturbance dynamo related composition change (O/N2 ratio) resulted in a well-developed EIA with an increase in the peak and the width of the EIA at 2100 LT on DOY 275 (main phase of the storm) compared to 274 (initial phase of the storm) and 276 (recovery phase of the storm).

The study of variations in total solar irradiance (TSI) and spectral irradiance is important for understanding how the Sun affects the Earth’s climate. A data-driven approach is used in this article to analyze and model the temporal variation of the TSI and Mg ii index back to 1947. In both cases, observed data in the time interval of the satellite era, 1978 – 2013, were used for neural network (NN) model-design and testing. For this particular purpose, the evolution of the solar magnetic field is assumed to be the main driver for the day-to-day irradiance variability. First, we design a model for the Mg ii index data from F10.7 cm solar radio-flux using the NN approach in the time span of 1978 through 2013. Results of Mg ii index model were tested using various numbers of hidden nodes. The predicted values of the hidden layer with five nodes correspond well to the composite Mg ii values. The model reproduces 94% of the variability in the composite Mg ii index, including the secular decline between the 1996 and 2008 solar cycle minima. Finally, the extrapolation of the Mg ii index was performed using the developed model from F10.7 cm back to 1947. Similarly, the NN model was designed for TSI variability study over the time span of the satellite era using data from the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos (PMOD) as a target, and solar activity indices as model inputs. This model was able to reproduce the daily irradiance variations with a correlation coefficient of 0.937 from sunspot and facular measurements in the time span of 1978 – 2013. Finally, the temporal variation of the TSI was analyzed using the designed NN model back to 1947 from the Photometric Sunspot Index (PSI) and the extrapolated Mg ii index. The extrapolated TSI result indicates that the amplitudes of Solar Cycles 19 and 21 are closely comparable to each other, and Solar Cycle 20 appears to be of lower irradiance during its maximum.

Solar quiet daily ( Sq ) variation in the earth’s magnetic field along the East African meridian was studied using data of the H, D and Z components recorded with Magnetic Data Acquisition System of SERC. One year data recorded at ten African geomagnetic observatories was used in the analysis of worldwide solar quiet daily variation (Wsq). The study revealed that the focus of Sq ( H ) in the southern hemisphere lies at the boundary of low and middle latitude region. Noon-time enhancement of Sq ( H ) was generally noticed at all stations along the meridian, though it is latitudinal dependent in terms of magnitude as it reduces with distance from dip equator. In addition, night-time variations also occur in small magnitude along African meridian in Sq ( H ) and Sq ( Z ) which could be attributed to non-ionospheric sources. Semi-diurnal variation was noticed in Sq ( D ) at all stations except in AAB that is under the influence of electrojet current. Dusk sector calm condition of Sq ( D ) current was notice in some stations and the same condition was also noticed at dawn sector in some other stations. The usual sunrise maximum and sunset minimum for D component at stations north of dip equator as well as sunrise minimum and sunset maximum was found to increase with distance away from dip equator. Day-time perturbation of Sq current was noticed to be more pronounced in all the three field elements. Mass plots of annual mean hourly value show contrasting phase pattern about the focus in H element and the results of the variations at each region with the associated standard error. It was concluded from the result of correlation coefficients computed that different currents system flowing in opposite directions could be responsible for contrasting patterns.

Describing the day-to-day variability of Equatorial Plasma Bubble (EPB) occurrence remains a significant challenge. In this study we use the Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM), driven by solar (F10.7) and geomagnetic (Kp) activity indices, to study daily variations of the linear Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability growth rate in relation to the measured scintillation strength at five longitudinally distributed stations. For locations characterized by generally favorable conditions for EPB growth (i.e., within the scintillation season for that location), we find that the TIEGCM is capable of identifying days when EPB development, determined from the calculated R-T growth rate, is suppressed as a result of geomagnetic activity. Both observed and modeled upward plasma drifts indicate that the prereversal enhancement scales linearly with Kp from several hours prior, from which it is concluded that even small Kp changes cause significant variations in daily EPB growth.

Presented is an analysis of the occurrence of postsunset Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) detected using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver at Vanimo. The three year data set shows that the EPB occurrence maximizes (minimizes) during the equinoxes (solstices), in good agreement with previous findings. The Vanimo ionosonde station is used with the GPS receiver in an analysis of the day-to-day EPB occurrence variability during the 2000 equinox period. A superposed epoch analysis (SEA) reveals that the altitude, and the change in altitude, of the F layer height is ∼1 standard deviation (1σ) larger on the days for which EPBs were detected, compared to non-EPB days. These results are then compared to results from the Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM), which show strong similarities with the observations. The TIEGCM is used to calculate the flux-tube integrated Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability linear growth rate. A SEA reveals that the modeled R-T growth rate is 1σ higher on average for EPB days compared to non-EPB days, and that the upward plasma drift is the most dominant contributor. It is further demonstrated that the TIEGCM's success in describing the observed daily EPB variability during the scintillation season resides in the variations caused by geomagnetic activity (as parameterized by Kp) rather than solar EUV flux (as parameterized by F10.7). Geomagnetic activity varies the modeled high-latitude plasma convection and the associated Joule heating that affects the low-latitude F region dynamo, and consequently the equatorial upward plasma drift. Key Points Day-to-day EPB occurrence in Southeast Asia investigated using ground-based GPS TIEGCM exhibits similiar daily variability to the EPB observations Small changes in Kp strongly influence daily EPB occurrence variability.

[1] While the mechanism for producing plasma irregularities in the dusk sector is believed to be fairly well understood, the cause of the formation of irregularities and bubbles during the postmidnight sector is still unknown, especially for magnetically quiet periods. This paper presents a case study of the strong postmidnight bubbles that often occur during magnetically quiet periods primarily in June solstice, along with a 4 year (2009–2012) statistical study that shows strong occurrence peak during June solstice predominantly in the African sector. We also confirm, for the first time, the presence of Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability during postmidnight hours by using the physics-based model for plasma densities and RT growth rates. Finally, we consider several possible sources of the eastward electric fields that permit the RT instability to develop and form bubbles in the postmidnight local time sector.

[1] One important characteristic of longitudinal variability of the ionosphere is the global wavenumber-4 signature. Recent investigations have focused mainly on the climatological pattern during daytime and evening sectors. We investigate the day-to-day variability of the wavenumber-4 structure of the longitudinal ionospheric density distribution using the global total electron content (TEC) measurements from Global Positioning Systems receivers on the ground. The quiet time (Kp ≤ 3) day-to-day occurrence of the wavenumber-4 is obtained during periods of low solar flux conditions for the years 2008 and 2009. We find that the wavenumber-4 structure occurs at all local time sectors; however, the daytime TEC wavenumber-4 structures are clearer and can persist until the midnight hours. The most significant occurrence is observed during the 1000–2400 LT sector while the minimum number of wavenumber-4 structure is observed between the 0400 and 0600 LT sector. Around the nighttime sector, more wavenumber-4 occurrence is observed during the premidnight sector than the postmidnight hours. The seasonal occurrence probability of the wavenumber-4 pattern is at a maximum during the March–April equinox and June–July solstice. December–January is the period when the wavenumber-4 occurrence is less dominant than the rest of the year.

International audience; This paper presents the regular variations of terrestrial magnetic field recorded by a new magnetic observatory Medea, Algeria (geographic latitude: 36.85 • N, geographic longitude: 2.93 • E, geomagnetic latitude: 27.98 • N, geomagnetic longitude: 77.7 • E) during 2008-2011. The diurnal and seasonal variations of the solar quiet (Sq) variations are analyzed. The results show differences in the diurnal pattern of the northward-component Sq variation (SqX) at different seasons. The seasonal variation of SqX is similar in different years. The diurnal pattern of SqX from July through September cannot be explained by an equivalent current system that is symmetric about the noon time sector. The observations indicate that the major axis of the elliptic current system is tilted towards the equator in the morning hours during those months. The diurnal pattern of SqY indicates southward currents in the morning and northward currents in the afternoon, except during February-March 2009 when there is apparently no southward current during the morning. For the other months, the observations indicate that the maximum northward current intensity in the afternoon tends to be greater than the maximum southward current intensity in the morning. This is because of the UT variation of the Sq current system. That is, the pattern and strength of the Sq current system are different when SqY is measured in the morning around 8 UT and in the afternoon around 14 UT. The amplitude of these extreme varies linearly with the solar cycle. For the SqY component, the changes in the morning maximum have an annual variation while that of the afternoon minimum has a semi-annual variation. These variations are attributed to seasonal variations in the ionospheric E-region conductivity and atmospheric tidal winds. The field-aligned currents can also contribute to the seasonal variation of SqY. However, the two-dimensional approach used in this article does not allow us to quantitatively determine their influences.

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) represent a significant space weather issue for power grid and pipeline infrastructure, particularly during severe geomagnetic storms. In this study, magnetometer data collected from around the world are analyzed to investigate the GICs caused by the 2015 St. Patricks Day storm. While significant GIC activity in the high-latitude regions due to storm time substorm activity is shown for this event, enhanced GIC activity was also measured at two equatorial stations in the American and Southeast Asian sectors. This equatorial GIC activity is closely examined, and it is shown that it is present both during the arrival of the interplanetary shock at the storm sudden commencement (SSC) in Southeast Asia and during the main phase of the storm approximately 10 h later in South America. The SSC caused magnetic field variations at the equator in Southeast Asia that were twice the magnitude of those observed only a few degrees to the north, strongly indicating that the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) played a significant role. The large equatorial magnetic field variations measured in South America are also examined, and the coincident solar wind data are used to investigate the causes of the sudden changes in the EEJ approximately 10 h into the storm. From this analysis it is concluded that sudden magnetopause current increases due to increases in the solarwind dynamic pressure, and the sudden changes in the resultant magnetospheric and ionospheric current systems, are the primary drivers of equatorial GICs.

This paper presents a case study of the strong postmidnight bubbles that often occur during magnetically quiet periods primarily in June solstice, along with a 4 year (2009–2012) statistical study that shows strong occurrence peak during June solstice predominantly in the African sector. While the mechanism for producing plasma irregularities in the dusk sector is believed to be fairly well understood, the cause for the formation of irregularities and bubbles during postmidnight sector is still unknown, especially for magnetically quiet periods. For the first time, the presence of Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability during postmidnight hours has been confirmed by using the physics-based model for plasma densities and RT growth rates. The question is what cause for the generation of eastward electric field, which is the prime driver of RTI, during postmidnight sector? Several possible sources of the eastward electric fields that permit the RT instability to develop and form bubbles in the postmidnight local time sector has been considered.

While the formation of equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and its temporal variation is believed to be fairly well understood, the longitudinal variability at all local times is still unknown. This paper presents a case and statistical study of the longitudinal variability of dayside EEJ for all local times using ground-based observations. We found EEJ is stronger in the west American sector and decreases from west to east longitudinal sectors. We also confirm the presence of significant longitudinal difference in the dusk sector pre-reversal drift, using the ion velocity meter (IVM) instrument onboard the C/NOFS satellite, with stronger pre-reversal drift in the west American sector compared to the African sector. Previous satellite observations have shown that the African sector is home to stronger and year-round ionospheric bubbles/irregularities compared to the American and Asian sectors. This study's results raises the question if the vertical drift, which is believed to be the main cause for the enhancement of Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability growth rate, is stronger in the American sector and weaker in the African sector – why are the occurrence and amplitude of equatorial irregularities stronger in the African sector?

Global magnetospheric Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) pulsations with frequencies in the Pc 4–5 range (f = 1.0–8 mHz) have been observed for decades in space and on Earth. ULF pulsations contribute to magnetospheric particle transport and diffusion and play an important role in magnetospheric dynamics. However, only a few studies have been performed on ionospheric observations of ULF wave-related perturbations in the vicinity of the equatorial region. In this paper we report on Pc5 wave related electric field and thus vertical drift velocity oscillations at the equator as observed by ground magnetometers and radar. We show that the magnetometer estimated equatorial ExB drift oscillate with the same frequency as ULF Pc5 waves, creating significant ionospheric density fluctuations. For independent confirmation of the vertical drift velocity fluctuation, we used JULIA 150 km radar drift velocities and found similar fluctuation with the period of 8–10 minutes. We also show ionospheric density fluctuations during the period when we observed ULF wave activities. All these demonstrate that the Pc5 wave can penetrate to the equatorial ionosphere and modulate the equatorial electrodynamics. Finally, in order to detect the ULF activities both on the ground and in space, we use ground-based magnetometer data from African Meridian B-field Education and Research (AMBER) and the South American Meridional B-field Array (SAMBA). From space, we use magnetic field observations from the GOES 12 and the Communication/Navigation Outage and Forecast System (C/NOFS) satellites. Using the WIND spacecraft as the upstream solar wind monitor, we present direct evidence that solar wind number density and ram pressure fluctuations observed far upstream from the terrestrial magnetosphere are the main drivers of ULF wave activity inside the magnetosphere. Finally, we show that the ULF waves in the same frequency range are observed in the magnetosphere by the geosynchronous GOES spacecraft, in the ionosphere by the equatorial C/NOFS satellite, and on the ground by ground-based magnetometers, indicating that the magnetospheric origin ULF wave can penetrate to the ground equatorial region and modulate the equatorial electrodynamics.

[1] Previously, ionospheric signatures of plasmaspheric plumes were reported only at the North American longitude sector. This led to the hypothesis that the geomagnetic field configuration at those longitudes played a vital role in the observation of plasmaspheric plume signatures only over the American continent. Combining ground-based GPS total electron content (TEC), EISCAT incoherent scattering radar (ISR), and DMSP F15 ion drift meter observations we have observed greatly elevated density over the European continent during storm recovery phase on 12 September 2005. The TEC seen over Europe has a tongue of enhanced ionization extending to higher latitudes, which is identical to the plasmaspheric plume signatures that have been often observed over North America. Therefore, our observations clearly demonstrate that ionospheric signatures of plasmaspheric plumes are not limited to the North American sector and suggest that they may be observed at any longitude as long as a dense array of instruments are available to identify these signatures. Citation: Yizengaw, E., M. B. Moldwin, and D. A. Galvan (2006), Ionospheric signatures of a plasmaspheric plume over Europe, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L17103, doi:10.1029/2006GL026597.

The ionospheric storm evolution process was monitored during the 22 September 1999 magnetic storm over the Australian eastern region, through measurements of the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) from seven Global Positioning Systems (GPS) stations. The spatial and temporal variations of the ionosphere were analysed as a time series of TEC maps. Results of our analysis show that the main ionospheric effect of the storm under consideration are: the long lasting negative storm effect during a magnetic storm at mid-latitude regions; the strong, positive disturbances during the storm's main phase at auroral latitude regions; the effects of storm-induced equatorward directed wind causing a positive disturbance at high and mid-latitude stations with appropriate time shift between higher and lower latitudes; daytime poleward movement of depleted plasma that causes temporary suppression of the equatorial anomaly during the start of the storm recovery phase; and prompt penetration of eastward electric fields to ionospheric altitudes and the production of nearly simultaneous TEC enhancement at all latitudes. In general, we found dominant negative disturbance over mid and high latitudes and positive disturbance at low latitudes. A comparison of storm-time behaviour of TEC determined from GPS satellites, and foF2 derived from ionosondes at a range of latitudes, showed reasonable agreement between the two independent measurements.

Near-Earth space weather is largely due to structure in the ionospheric density and electric currents flowing in the upper atmosphere. The steep plasma gradients and ionospheric irregularities affect a range of communication and navigation operational systems that depend on radio waves being reflected off, or transmitted through, the ionosphere. Electrical currents flowing in the upper atmosphere also induce currents in power lines and can burn out transformers.