Identification

Title

The effects of stormâ€enhanced zonal ion drifts and plasmaspheric heat flux on middleâ€latitude ionospheric trough

Abstract

This study examines how enhanced zonal ion drifts and plasmaspheric heat flux influence mid‐latitude ionospheric trough dynamics during geomagnetic storms using the Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model coupled with a Subauroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) empirical model. Increasing SAPS‐driven zonal ion drifts from ∼1 to 2 km/s deepened and expanded the trough longitudinally/latitudinally, reducing nighttime TEC by ∼20% within the trough. Ion temperatures doubled to ∼1,600 K under stronger SAPS due to increased frictional heating, while electron density depletion and temperature enhancements showed weaker responses owing to low electron density limiting electron‐ion collisional heating. Doubling plasmaspheric heat flux amplified electron temperature by ∼120% (∼1,200 K) and reduced electron density by ∼80% (∼2 × 10 5  cm −3 ), with minimal ion/neutral temperature changes from limited electron‐neutral thermal coupling. Neutral temperature‐driven atmospheric upwelling decreased O/N 2 ratios, further depleting electron density. These results highlight the critical role of SAPS‐driven ion dynamics and plasmaspheric energy inputs in shaping storm‐time trough morphology through distinct thermal and compositional pathways.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7rf60g0

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2025-05-01T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact