Observation of the Ionosphere in Middle Latitudes during 2009, 2018 and 2018/2019 Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events

0542181 - ÚFA 2022 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Mošna, Zbyšek - Edemskiy, Ilya K. - Laštovička, Jan - Kozubek, Michal - Koucká Knížová, Petra - Kouba, Daniel - Siddiqui, T.A.
Observation of the Ionosphere in Middle Latitudes during 2009, 2018 and 2018/2019 Sudden Stratospheric Warming Events.
Atmosphere. Roč. 12, č. 5 (2021), č. článku 602. E-ISSN 2073-4433
Grant - others:ESA - The European Space Agency(XE) ESA 4000126709/18/NL/IA VERA
Institutional support: RVO:68378289
Keywords : sudden stratospheric warmings * ionospheric effects * ionospheric variability * vertical coupling
OECD category: Meteorology and atmospheric sciences
Impact factor: 3.110, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/5/602/htm

The ionospheric weather is affected not only from above by the Sun but also from below by processes in the lower-lying atmospheric layers. One of the most pronounced atmospheric phenomena is the sudden stratospheric warming (SSW). Three major SSW events from the periods of very low solar activity during January 2009, February 2018, and December 2018/January 2019 were studied to evaluate this effect of the neutral atmosphere on the thermosphere and the ionosphere. The main question is to what extent the ionosphere responds to the SSW events with focus on middle latitudes over Europe. The source of the ionospheric data was ground-based measurements by Digisondes, and the total electron content (TEC). In all three events, the ionospheric response was demonstrated as an increase in electron density around the peak height of the F2 region, in TEC, and presence of wave activity. We presume that neutral atmosphere forcing and geomagnetic activity contributed differently in individual events. The ionospheric response during SSW 2009 was predominantly influenced by the neutral lower atmosphere. The ionospheric changes observed during 2018 and 2018/2019 SSWs are a combination of both geomagnetic and SSW forcing. The ionospheric response to geomagnetic forcing was noticeably lower during time intervals outside of SSWs.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0319658