Variation of Small-Scale Gravity Wave Activity in the Ionosphere During the Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming Event of 2009

Abstract

The present study investigates the effect of the major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event of 2009, on the small-scale gravity wave (GW) activity in the ionosphere. Small-scale fluctuations with time periods within the range of 10–90 min observed in Global Positioning System total electron content (TEC) data have been used as a proxy for GW activity in the ionosphere. TEC data from five longitudinally separated Global Positioning System stations located around 60 ∘ N latitude have been utilized for this purpose. In the initial phase of the major warming, when the stratospheric conditions are similar to a minor warming during which the mean zonal flow starts to weaken, the ionopsheric GW activity tends to increase. However, during the peak phase of the SSW, as the zonal mean wind starts to reverse its direction, and after the peak warming, as the winds remain weak, conditions are less favorable for upward propagation of a spectrum of GWs, and thus the ionospheric GW activity is reduced, as seen from the behavior of the small-scale TEC fluctuations during the latter period of the SSW. Similar reduction in GW activity is also observed in the middle atmosphere (65–100 km) as seen from GWs derived from SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry) temperature profiles. The reductions in GW activity is more prominent during local daytime as compared to nighttime period. The reduction in GW activity shows a longitudinal variation with some locations showing relatively more reduction in the GW activity as compared to others.