Extreme Low‐Latitude Total Electron Content Enhancement and Global Positioning System Scintillation at Dawn

Abstract We report on an extreme ionospheric plasma density enhancement and Global Positioning System (GPS) scintillation at dawn, observed within the expanding equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). The total electron content (TEC) in central America reached 50 TECu at sunrise, the value almost twice...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sebastijan Mrak, Joshua Semeter, Yukitoshi Nishimura, Anthea J. Coster
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-09-01
Series:Space Weather
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002740
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract We report on an extreme ionospheric plasma density enhancement and Global Positioning System (GPS) scintillation at dawn, observed within the expanding equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). The total electron content (TEC) in central America reached 50 TECu at sunrise, the value almost twice as high as the normal afternoon peak. The enhanced EIA expanded poleward and westward from just below 20° magnetic latitude (MLAT) to beyond 30° MLAT at sunrise. The chief ramification of the enhanced EIA was strong GPS scintillation which was observed poleward of 30° northern MLAT and lasted until 8:00 local time. In total, the amplitude scintillation and phase fluctuations lasted for ∼5 h at latitudes north of 20°MLAT in central America.
ISSN:1542-7390