Lunar atmospheric tidal effects in the plasma drifts observed by the Low-Latitude Ionospheric Sensor Network

Abstract

Data from the Low-Latitude Ionospheric Sensor Network are used to examine ionospheric electrodynamics during quiet, low solar conditions from September to November 2009. The ground-based magnetometers and the Jicamarca Vertical Incidence Pulsed Ionospheric Radar ionosonde in the Peruvian Sector are used to identify the neutral winds and plasma drifts that control the large-scale plasma structure of the ionosphere. It is observed that the solar- and lunar-driven semidiurnal tides have a significant influence on the background electrodynamics during this period of extreme solar minimum. The lunar tidal influence of the ionosphere electrodynamics is a large component of the variation of the vertical drift during the geophysically quiet study period. A significant portion, though not all, of the variation through the lunar month can be attributed to the lunar semidiurnal tide. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.