Low‐latitude ionosphere response to super geomagnetic storm of 17/18 March 2015: Results from a chain of ground‐based observations over Indian sector

S. Sripathi; Sreeba Sreekumar; S. Banola; K. Emperumal; P. Tiwari; Burudu Suneel Kumar

doi:10.1002/2015ja021509

journal article Dec 01, 2015

Low‐latitude ionosphere response to super geomagnetic storm of 17/18 March 2015: Results from a chain of ground‐based observations over Indian sector

S. Sripathi

Sreeba Sreekumar S. Banola K. Emperumal P. Tiwari Burudu Suneel Kumar

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics Vol. 120 No. 12 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/2015ja021509

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we present unique results of equatorial and low‐latitude ionosphere response to one of the major geomagnetic storms of the current solar cycle that occurred during 17–18 March 2015, where Dst reached its minimum of −228 nT. Here we utilized data from magnetometers, chain of ionosondes located at Tirunelveli (8.73°N, 77.70°E; geometry: 0.32°N), Hyderabad (17.36°N, 78.47°E; geometry 8.76°N), and Allahabad (25.45°N, 81.85°E; geometry 16.5°N) along with multistation GPS receivers over Indian sector. The observations showed a remarkable increase of h′F to as high as ~560 km over Tirunelveli (magnetic equator) with vertical drift of ~70 m/s at 13:30 UT due to direct penetration of storm time eastward electric fields which exactly coincided with the local time of pre‐reversal enhancement (PRE) and caused intense equatorial spread F irregularities in ionosondes and scintillations in GPS receivers at wide latitudes. Plasma irregularities are so intense that their signatures are seen in Allahabad/Lucknow. Storm time thermospheric meridional winds as estimated using two ionosondes suggest the equatorward surge of gravity waves with period of ~2 h. Suppression of anomaly crest on the subsequent day of the storm suggests the complex role of disturbance dynamo electric fields and disturbance wind effects. Our results also show an interesting feature of traveling ionospheric disturbances possibly associated with disturbance meridional wind surge during recovery phase. In addition, noteworthy observations are nighttime westward zonal drifts and PRE‐related total electron content enhancements at anomaly crests during main phase and counter electrojet signatures during recovery phase.

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Details

Published: Dec 01, 2015
Vol/Issue: 120(12)
License: View

Authors

S

S. Sripathi

Indian Institute of Geomagnetism Navi Mumbai India

S

Sreeba Sreekumar

Indian Institute of Geomagnetism Navi Mumbai India

S

S. Banola

Indian Institute of Geomagnetism Navi Mumbai India

K

K. Emperumal

Equatorial Geophysical Research Laboratory Indian Institute of Geomagnetism Tirunelveli India

P

P. Tiwari

KSK Geophysical Research Laboratory Allahabad India

B

Burudu Suneel Kumar

TIFR Balloon Facility Hyderabad India

Funding

Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India

Cite This Article

S. Sripathi, Sreeba Sreekumar, S. Banola, et al. (2015). Low‐latitude ionosphere response to super geomagnetic storm of 17/18 March 2015: Results from a chain of ground‐based observations over Indian sector. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 120(12). https://doi.org/10.1002/2015ja021509

Low‐latitude ionosphere response to super geomagnetic storm of 17/18 March 2015: Results from a chain of ground‐based observations over Indian sector

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