Coordinated incoherent scatter radar study of the January 1997 storm

Abstract

We describe many important features of the ionospheric F region as observed by the Sondrestrom, Millstone Hill, and Arecibo incoherent scatter radars (ISRs) and the Millstone Hill and Ramey Digisondes during January 6-10, 1997, with emphasis on the January 10, 1997 storm. Coordinated analysis of the data provides evidence for traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs) and for two likely electric field penetration events linking these stations. Large and rapid changes in hmF2 were seen at Arecibo and nearby Ramey which are related to the TADs and penetrating electric fields. Results are compared with simulations by the thermosphere-ionosphere electrodynamics general circulation model (TIEGCM), which utilizes high-latitude inputs given by the assimilative mapping of ionospheric electrodynamics (AMIE) technique. An important result of this study is that the TIEGCM is able to predict TADs similar to those observed. Exceptional features observed during this storm at Millstone Hill are a very large nighttime Te enhancement on January 10 and a larger decrease in NmF2 than predicted by the TIEGCM throughout the storm period. The latter appears to be related to an underestimation of the neutral temperature by the model. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.