Dayside global ionospheric response to the major interplanetary events of October 29-30, 2003 "Halloween Storms"

Abstract

We demonstrate extreme ionospheric response to the large interplanetary electric fields during the "Halloween" storms that occurred on October 29 and 30, 2003. Within a few (2-5) hours of the time when the enhanced interplanetary electric field impinged on the magnetopause, dayside total electron content increases of ∼40% and ∼250% are observed for the October 29 and 30 events, respectively. During the Oct 30 event, ∼900% increases in electron content above the CHAMP satellite (∼400 km altitude) were observed at mid-latitudes (±30 degrees geomagnetic). The geomagnetic storm-time phenomenon of prompt penetration electric fields is a possible contributing cause of these electron content increases, producing dayside ionospheric uplift combined with equatorial plasma diffusion along magnetic field lines to higher latitudes, creating a "daytime super-fountain" effect. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.