Magnetopause erosion during the 17 March 2015 magnetic storm: Combined field-aligned currents, auroral oval, and magnetopause observations

We present multimission observations of field-aligned currents, auroral oval, and magnetopause crossings during the 17 March 2015 magnetic storm. Dayside reconnection is expected to transport magnetic flux, strengthen field-aligned currents, lead to polar cap expansion and magnetopause erosion. Our multimission observations assemble evidence for all these manifestations. After a prolonged period of strongly southward interplanetary magnetic field, Swarm and AMPERE observe significant intensification of field-aligned currents. The dayside auroral oval, as seen by DMSP, appears as a thin arc associated with ongoing dayside reconnection. Both the field-aligned currents and the auroral arc move equatorward reaching as low as ~60° magnetic latitude. Strong magnetopause erosion is evident in the in situ measurements of the magnetopause crossings by GOES 13/15 and MMS. The coordinated Swarm, AMPERE, DMSP, MMS and GOES observations, with both global and in situ coverage of the key regions, provide a clear demonstration of the effects of dayside reconnection on the entire magnetosphere.

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Copyright 2016 American Geophysical Union.


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Publication Date 2016-03-28T00:00:00
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Metadata Date 2025-07-11T20:49:59.180724
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:18444
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation . (2016). Magnetopause erosion during the 17 March 2015 magnetic storm: Combined field-aligned currents, auroral oval, and magnetopause observations. UCAR/NCAR - Library. https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7ns0wjw. Accessed 30 December 2025.

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