Variations of GPS-TEC at an African Low Latitude Station during Geomagnetic Disturbances
Keywords:
GPS-TEC, Thermospheric wind,, Geomagnetic storm, EIAAbstract
Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements have been used to investigate the storm-time seasonal variations of the total electron content (TEC). The selected storm events are all moderate (-100nT < Dst ? -50nT) and occurred at different seasons between the year 2002 and 2006 during the descending phase of solar cycle 23. The GPS measurements were obtained from the International GNSS Services (IGS) database for the receiver located at Lusaka (Geog. Lat. 15.43oS, Long. 28.31oE, -26.27o dip), Zambia, a low latitude station in the African region. Analysis of the TEC data shows significant differences in the TEC variations during the storm events with noticeable local time and seasonal components. In most of the storms considered, positive storm effect was observed during their main phases with magnitudes and durations that differ seasonally. The positive phase is most prominent for storms that have their main phase during the daytime particularly in winter and equinoxes, while in summer, the positive phase is more noticeable between the pre-midnight and early morning period. The trend of storm-time TEC variations are the same for equinoxes and winter, with a consistent positive phase during the daytime and negative phase at nighttime. The TEC variations, however, differ in magnitude and duration. The response of TEC to the geomagnetic storms also presents a summer/winter and autumn/spring asymmetry. General observation shows a long lasting negative phase in daytime than at nighttime during summer; while it shows a fairly consistent behaviour with a positive and negative phase observed during the daytime and nighttime respectively, in winter. The average storm-time behavior observed at different seasons may suggest a way to improve the storm-time prediction of ionospheric models which have limited success in estimating short-time ionospheric dynamics.
References
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G.A. Mansilla & M.M. Zossi, “Thermosphere–ionosphere response to a severe magnetic storm: A case study”, Advances in Space Research 49 (2012) 1581.
G.A. Mansilla & M.M. Zossi, “Ionospheric response to the 3 August 2010 geomagnetic storm at mid and mid-high latitudes”, Advances in Space Research 51 (2013) 50.
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A. Dmitriev & H. C. Yeh, “Storm- time ionization Enhancements at the topside low- latitude ionosphere”, Ann. Geophys. 26 (2008) 867.
A. P. Kakad, S.V. Singh, R. V. Reddy, G. S. Lakhina & S. G. Tagare, “Electron acoustic solitary wave in the earth’s magnetotail region”, Advances in Space Research 43 (2009), doi:10.1016/j.asr.2009.03.005.
M. Blanc & A.D. Richmond, “The ionospheric disturbance dynamo”, J. Geophys. Res. 85 (1980) 1669.
A.D. Danilov & J. Lastovicka, “Effects of geomagnetic storms on theionosphere and atmosphere”, Int. J. Geomag. Aeron. 2 (2001) 209.
M.J. Buonsanto, “Ionospheric storms – a review.”, Space Sci. Rev. 88 (1999) 563.
B. K. Choi, S. J. Lee & J.–K. Park, “Monitoring the ionospheric total electron content variations over the Korean Peninsula using a GPS network during geomagnetic storms”, Earth Planets Space 63 (2011) 469.
A. Jain, S. Tiwari, S. Jain & A. K. Gwal, “TEC response during severe geomagnetic storms near the crest of an equatorial ionization anomaly”, Indian Journal of Radio and Space Space 39 (2010) 11.
M. S. Bagiya, H.P. Joshi, K.N. Iyer, M. Aggarwal, S. Ravindran & B. M. Pathan, “TEC variations during low solar activity period (2005-2007) near the equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly Crest region in India. Ann. Geophys. 27 (2009) 1047.
B. Joshua, J.O. Adeniyi, I. A. Adimula, M. Abbas & S. J. Adebiyi, “The Effect of Magnetic Storm of May 2010 on the F2 Layer over the Ilorin Ionosphere”, World Journal Young Researchers 1 (2011) 71.
B.W. Joshua, J.O. Adeniyi, I.A. Adimula, O.A. Oladipo, O.A. Olawepo & S.J. Adebiyi, “Ionospheric response to the storm-time disturbance of 29 May, 2010”, Advances in Space Research 53 (2014) 219.
N. Jakowski, S. Schluter & E. Sardon, “Total electron content of the ionosphere during the geomagnetic storm on 10 January 1997”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 61 (1999) 299.
H. Fang, W. Libin & S. Zheng, “Variations in the thermosphere and ionosphere response to the 17–20 April 2002 geomagnetic storms”, Adv. Space Res. 49 (2012) 1529.
G. Uma, P.S. Brahmanandam, K. Yoshihiro, A. Dmitriev, N.S.M.P. Latha Devi, K. Uday Kiran, D.S.V.V.D. Prasad, P.V.S. Rama Rao, K. Niranjan, C. Seshu Babu, Y.H. Chu, “Ionospheric responses to two large geomagnetic storms over Japanese and Indian longitude sectors”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 74 (2012) 94.
A.V. Mikhailov, L. Perrone & N.V. Smirnova, “Two types of positive disturbances in the daytime mid-latitude F2-layer: Morphology and formation mechanisms”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 81–82 (2012) 59.
B.O. Adebesin, S.O. Ikubanni, S.J. Adebiyi & B.W. Joshua, “Multi-station observation of ionospheric disturbance of March 9 2012 and comparison with IRI-model”, Advances in Space Research 52 (2013a) 604.
S.J. Adebiyi, J.O. Adeniyi, I. A. Adimula, B. Joshua & M. Gwani, “Effect of the Geomagnetic Storm of April 5th to 7th, 2010, on the F2-Layer of the Ionosphere of Ilorin, Nigeria”, World Journal of Engineering and Pure and Applied Sci. 2 (2012) 56.
S.J. Adebiyi, I.A. Adimula & O.A. Oladipo, “Investigation on mid-latitude stations to storm-time variations of GPS-TEC” Advances in Space Research 55 (2015) 1339.
E.B. Amabayo, L.–A. McKinnell & P.J. Cilliers, “Ionospheric response over South Africa to the geomagnetic storm of 11–13 April 2001”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 84 (2012) 62.
F.M. D’ujanga, P. Baki, J.O. Olwendo & B.F. Twinamasiko, “Total electron content of the ionosphere at two stations in East Africa during the 24–25 October 2011 geomagnetic storm”, Advances in Space Research 51 (2013) 712–721.
J. B. Habarulema, L.–A. McKinnell, D. Burešová, Y. Zhang, G. Seemala, C. Ngwira, J. Chum & B. Opperman, “A comparative study of TEC response for the African equatorial and mid-latitudes during storm conditions”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (2013) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2013.05.008
B.T. Tsurutani, A. Mannucci, B. Iijima, M.A. Abdu, J.H.A. Sobral, W. Gonzalez, F. Guarnieri, T. Tsuda, A. Saito, K. Yumoto, B. Fejer, T.J. Fuller-Rowell, J. Kozyra, J.C. Foster, A. Coster & V.M. Vasyliunas, “Global dayside ionospheric uplift and enhancement associated with interplanetary electric fields”, Journal of Geophysical Research 109 (2004) A08302 doi:10.1029/2003JA010342.
A. J. Mannucci, B.T. Tsurutani, B.A. Iijima, A. Saito, W.D. Gonzalez, F.L. Guarnieri, J.U. Kozyra, R. Skoug, “Dayside global ionospheric response to the major interplanetary events of October 29–30, 2003 ‘‘Halloween Storms’, Geophysical Research Letters 32 (2005) L12S02, doi:10.1029/2004GL021467.
Q. Gao, L. Liu, B. Zhao, W. Wan, M. Zhang & B. Ning, “Statistical study of the storm effects in middle and low latitude ionosphere in the East-Asian sector”, Chinese Journal of Geophysics 51 (2008) 435.
S.M. Stankov, K. Stegen & R. Warnant, “Seasonal variations of storm-time TEC at European middle latitudes”, Advances in Space Research 48 (2010) 1318.
S. K. Chakraborty & R. Hajra, “Variability of total electron content near the crest of the anomaly during moderate geomagnetic storms”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 72 (2010) 900 – 911.
P. K. Subhadra Devi, K. Unnikrishan & Venugopal, C., “Seasonal and solar activity dependence of storm time TEC variations for a low latitude station Palehua”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 73 (2011) 1687
B.O. Adebesin, J.O. Adeniyi, I.A. Adimula, B.W. Reinisch & K. Yumoto, “F2 layer characteristics and electrojet strength over an equatorial station”, Advances in Space Research 52 (2013b) 791.
S.O. Oyekola & C.C. Oluwafemi, “Morphology of F-region vertical E X B drifts in the African sector using ionosonde measurements”, Annals of Geophysics 50 (2007) 615.
S.O. Oyekola, & L.B. Kolawole, “Equatorial vertical EXB drift velocities inferred from ionosonde measurements over Ouagadougou and the IRI-2007 vertical ion drift model”, Advances in Space Research 46 (2010) 604.
S.O. Oyekola, “Equatorial F-region vertical ion drifts during quiet solar maximum” Advances in Space Research, 43 (2009) 1950.
S. B. Henderson, C. M. Swenson, A. B. Christensen & L. J. Paxton, “Morphology of the equatorial anomaly and equatorial plasma bubbles using image subspace analysis of Global Ultraviolet Imager data”, J. Geophys. Res. 110 (2005) A11306, doi:10.1029/2005JA011080.
C. H. Lin, J.Y. Liu, T.W. Fang, P.Y. Chang, H.F. Tsai, C.H. Chen & C.C. Hsaio, “Motions of the equatorial ionization anomaly crests imaged by FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC”, Geophysical Research Letters 34 (2007) L19101, doi: 10.1029/2007GL030741.
[29] S.K. Chakraborty & R. Hajra, “Electrojet control of ambient ionization near the crest of the equatorial anomaly in the Indian zone”, Ann. Geophys. 27 (2009) 93.
M. Aggarwal, H. P. Joshi, K. N. Iyer & Y. S. Kwak, “Response of the EIA ionosphere to the 7-8 May 2005 geomagnetic storm” Advances in Space Research 52 (2013) 591 .
S. Sharma, P. Galav, N. Dashora, R. S. Dabas & R. Pandey, Study of ionospheric TEC during space weather event of 24 August 2005 at two different longitudes, Journal Atmos. Solar Terr. Physics 75 (2012) 133.
T. J. Fuller-Rowell, M.V. Codrescu, H. Rishbeth, R.J. Moffett & S. Quegan, “On the seasonal response of the thermosphere and ionosphere to geomagnetic storms”, Journal of Geophysical Research 101 (1996) 2343.
O. J. Olwendo, P. Baki, C. Mito & P. Doherty, “Characterization of ionospheric GPS Total Electron Content (GPS-TEC) in low latitude zone over the Kenya region during a very low solar activity phase”, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 84 (2012) 52.
R. Trivedi, A. Jain, S. Jain & A.K. Gwal, “Study of TEC changes during geomagnetic storms occurred near the crest of the equatorial ionospheric ionization anomaly in the Indian sector”, Advances in Space Research 48 (2011) 1617.
C. S. Carrano & K.M. Groves, “The GPS Segment of the AFRL-SCINDA Global Network and the Challenges of Real-Time TEC Estimation in the Equatorial Ionosphere”, in: Proceedings of the Institute of Navigation, National Technical Meeting 2 1036–1047.
S.J. Adebiyi, I.A. Adimula & O.A. Oladipo, “Seasonal variations of GPS derived TEC at three different latitudes of the southern hemisphere during geomagnetic storms”, Advances in Space Research 53 (2014a) 1246.
G.A. Mansilla & M.M. Zossi, “Thermosphere–ionosphere response to a severe magnetic storm: A case study”, Advances in Space Research 49 (2012) 1581.
G.A. Mansilla & M.M. Zossi, “Ionospheric response to the 3 August 2010 geomagnetic storm at mid and mid-high latitudes”, Advances in Space Research 51 (2013) 50.
Y. Sahai, P.R. Fagundes, F. Becker-Guedes, J.R. Abalde, G. Crowley, X. Pi, K. Igarashi, G.M. Amarante, A.A. Pimenta & J.A. Bittencourt, “Longitudinal differences observed in the ionospheric F-region during the major geomagnetic storm of 31 March 2001”, Annales Geophysicae 22 (2004) 3221.
A. Dmitriev & H. C. Yeh, “Storm- time ionization Enhancements at the topside low- latitude ionosphere”, Ann. Geophys. 26 (2008) 867.
A. P. Kakad, S.V. Singh, R. V. Reddy, G. S. Lakhina & S. G. Tagare, “Electron acoustic solitary wave in the earth’s magnetotail region”, Advances in Space Research 43 (2009), doi:10.1016/j.asr.2009.03.005.
M. Blanc & A.D. Richmond, “The ionospheric disturbance dynamo”, J. Geophys. Res. 85 (1980) 1669.
A.D. Danilov & J. Lastovicka, “Effects of geomagnetic storms on theionosphere and atmosphere”, Int. J. Geomag. Aeron. 2 (2001) 209.
M.J. Buonsanto, “Ionospheric storms – a review.”, Space Sci. Rev. 88 (1999) 563.
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2019-09-01
How to Cite
Adebiyi, S. J., Ikubanni, S. O., Adebesin, B. O. ., Joshua, B. W., & Adekoya, B. J. (2019). Variations of GPS-TEC at an African Low Latitude Station during Geomagnetic Disturbances. Physics Memoir - Journal of Theoretical & Applied Physics, 1(3), 113–125. Retrieved from https://physicsmemoir.org.ng/index.php/pmjtap/article/view/14
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Geophysical, Space and Atmospheric Physics
