The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021
Abstract The sudden storm commencement (SSC) of 3 November 2021, a severe storm was detected through disturbances in magnetospheric and ring current systems at around 1942 UT. We used a daily variation of total electron content (TEC) from ground‐based GNSS stations, ionosonde parameters and modeled...
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Wiley
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Space Weather |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003219 |
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| author | Wellen Rukundo |
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| author_sort | Wellen Rukundo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The sudden storm commencement (SSC) of 3 November 2021, a severe storm was detected through disturbances in magnetospheric and ring current systems at around 1942 UT. We used a daily variation of total electron content (TEC) from ground‐based GNSS stations, ionosonde parameters and modeled zonal and meridional wind velocities to study the ionospheric response over the African region by comparing storm and quiet time variations. The equatorial GNSS station of NKLG recorded initial positive storm effects around the time of SSC, of which these effects spread over the whole African region during the main phase with positive and negative storm effects during the main and recovery phases respectively. The two disturbances at the SSC and the main phase were caused by the penetrating electric field and traveling atmospheric disturbances respectively. The analysis of TIMED Global UltraViolet Imager images revealed storm time‐induced changes in thermospheric composition during the main phase which resulted in a differential ionospheric response with intense, moderate, and weak positive storm effects in northern, equatorial, and southern regions respectively. The horizontal magnetic field components show two signatures of prompt penetration electric field that suppressed the formation of the equatorial anomaly at SSC and enhanced positive storm effects in the equatorial region at the main phase, Therefore, the ionospheric response was due to the relative contributions of prompt penetration electric field effects and equatorward traveling disturbances which depended on storm onset time, past ionospheric state, and storm phase. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d8dbc39a8efb405b8f6a6f165f71a07a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1542-7390 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Space Weather |
| spelling | doaj-art-d8dbc39a8efb405b8f6a6f165f71a07a2025-01-14T16:27:17ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902023-03-01213n/an/a10.1029/2022SW003219The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021Wellen Rukundo0Space Environment and Research Laboratory Institute of Basic and Applied Science Egypt Japan University of Science and Technology Alexandria EgyptAbstract The sudden storm commencement (SSC) of 3 November 2021, a severe storm was detected through disturbances in magnetospheric and ring current systems at around 1942 UT. We used a daily variation of total electron content (TEC) from ground‐based GNSS stations, ionosonde parameters and modeled zonal and meridional wind velocities to study the ionospheric response over the African region by comparing storm and quiet time variations. The equatorial GNSS station of NKLG recorded initial positive storm effects around the time of SSC, of which these effects spread over the whole African region during the main phase with positive and negative storm effects during the main and recovery phases respectively. The two disturbances at the SSC and the main phase were caused by the penetrating electric field and traveling atmospheric disturbances respectively. The analysis of TIMED Global UltraViolet Imager images revealed storm time‐induced changes in thermospheric composition during the main phase which resulted in a differential ionospheric response with intense, moderate, and weak positive storm effects in northern, equatorial, and southern regions respectively. The horizontal magnetic field components show two signatures of prompt penetration electric field that suppressed the formation of the equatorial anomaly at SSC and enhanced positive storm effects in the equatorial region at the main phase, Therefore, the ionospheric response was due to the relative contributions of prompt penetration electric field effects and equatorward traveling disturbances which depended on storm onset time, past ionospheric state, and storm phase.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003219traveling atmospheric disturbancetotal electron contentthermospheric compositionequatorial anomaly crestprompt penetration electric fieldpositive storms |
| spellingShingle | Wellen Rukundo The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021 Space Weather traveling atmospheric disturbance total electron content thermospheric composition equatorial anomaly crest prompt penetration electric field positive storms |
| title | The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021 |
| title_full | The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021 |
| title_fullStr | The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021 |
| title_short | The Ionospheric Dynamics of the African Sector Responding to a Severe Geomagnetic Storm; the Storm of 3–5 November 2021 |
| title_sort | ionospheric dynamics of the african sector responding to a severe geomagnetic storm the storm of 3 5 november 2021 |
| topic | traveling atmospheric disturbance total electron content thermospheric composition equatorial anomaly crest prompt penetration electric field positive storms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003219 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wellenrukundo theionosphericdynamicsoftheafricansectorrespondingtoaseveregeomagneticstormthestormof35november2021 AT wellenrukundo ionosphericdynamicsoftheafricansectorrespondingtoaseveregeomagneticstormthestormof35november2021 |