Understanding the total electron content variability over Europe during 2009 and 2019 SSWs

0545270 - ÚFA 2022 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Siddiqui, T.A. - Yamazaki, Y. - Stolle, C. - Maute, A. - Laštovička, Jan - Edemskiy, Ilya K. - Mošna, Zbyšek - Sivakandan, M.
Understanding the total electron content variability over Europe during 2009 and 2019 SSWs.
Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics. Roč. 126, č. 9 (2021), č. článku e2020JA028751. ISSN 2169-9380. E-ISSN 2169-9402
Grant - others:ESA - The European Space Agency(XE) ESA 4000126709/18/NL/IA VERA
Institutional support: RVO:68378289
Keywords : Geomagnetic forcing * SSW * stratosphere-ionosphere coupling * tides * TIE-GCM * WACCM-X
OECD category: Meteorology and atmospheric sciences
Impact factor: 3.111, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020JA028751

The nature of the variability of the Total Electron Content (TEC) over Europe is investigated during 2009 and 2019 Northern Hemisphere (NH) SSW events in this study using a combination of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based TEC observations and Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM) simulations. To simulate the SSW effects in TIE-GCM, the dynamical fields from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere and ionosphere extension (WACCM-X) simulations of 2009 and 2019 SSWs are specified at the TIE-GCM lower boundary. The observed and simulated TEC are in overall good agreement and therefore the simulations are used to understand the sources of mid-latitude TEC variability during both SSWs. Through comparison of TIE-GCM simulations with and without geomagnetic forcing, we find that the TEC variability during the 2019 SSW event, was predominantly geomagnetically forced, while for the 2009 SSW, the major variability in TEC was accounted for by the changes in vertically propagating migrating semidiurnal solar (SW2) and lunar (M2) tides. By comparing the TIE-GCM simulations with and without the SW2 and M2 tides, we find that these semidiurnal tides contribute to ~20% - 25% increase in the quiet background TEC.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0322006