Identification

Title

Development of the storm‐induced ionospheric irregularities at equatorial and middle latitudes during the 25-26 August 2018 geomagnetic storm

Abstract

Can geomagnetic storms during low solar activity trigger formation of extreme equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) that affect low and midlatitudes? We analyzed the ionospheric response to the 25-26 August 2018 geomagnetic storm and revealed formation of intense ionospheric plasma irregularities over broad latitudinal ranges from equatorial toward middle latitudes in the American and Pacific sectors. Storm-induced penetration electric fields created favorable conditions for strong fountain effect uplifted the equatorial ionosphere, enhancement of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), and postsunset EPBs generation. We found two patterns of equatorial ionospheric irregularities expansion toward low and middle latitudes: (a) storm-induced EPBs developed over a large latitudinal extent between widely spread EIA crests, (b) narrow channel of the ionospheric irregularities stretched away from the EPB location toward the auroral zone in the northwestward direction. The EPBs latitudinal extent largely exceeded climatological-based expectations for solar minimum conditions; EPBs reached atypically high latitudes (20 degrees-25 degrees magnetic latitude [MLAT]) in the Pacific Ocean sector. The poleward-streaming plasma density depletions were registered along the western coast of North America. The ionospheric irregularities transported in the northwestward direction toward midlatitudes reaching as high as 40 degrees-45 degrees MLAT. The passage of these ionospheric irregularities coincided with the spread-F conditions recorded at a midlatitude ionosonde (42 degrees MLAT)-rather atypical phenomenon for midlatitudes. It is suggested that enhanced westward drifts associated with prompt penetration and Sub Auroral Polarization Stream electric fields can support the northwestward plasma transportation.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d73b63rw

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2022-02-14T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact