[1] The daytime equatorial electrojet is a narrow band of enhanced eastward current flowing in the 100 to 120 km altitude region within ±2° latitude of the dip equator. A unique way of determining the daytime strength of the electrojet is to observe the difference in the magnitudes of the Horizontal (H) component between a magnetometer placed directly on the magnetic equator and one displaced 6 to 9 degrees away. The difference between these measured H values provides a direct measure of the daytime electrojet current, and in turn, the magnitude of the vertical ExB drift velocity in the F region ionosphere. This paper discusses a recent study that has established the quantitative relationship between the vertical ExB drift velocity in the ionospheric F region and the daytime strength of the equatorial electrojet in the South American (west coast) longitude sector.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2001GL014562

Estimating daytime vertical ExB drift velocities in the equatorial F-region using ground-based magnetometer observations

A record of the geomagnetic field on the ground sometimes shows smooth daily variations on the order of a few tens of nano teslas. These daily variations, commonly known as Sq, are caused by electric currents of several $\upmu \mbox{A}/\mbox{m}^{2}$
 flowing on the sunlit side of the E-region ionosphere at about 90–150 km heights. We review advances in our understanding of the geomagnetic daily variation and its source ionospheric currents during the past 75 years. Observations and existing theories are first outlined as background knowledge for the non-specialist. Data analysis methods, such as spherical harmonic analysis, are then described in detail. Various aspects of the geomagnetic daily variation are discussed and interpreted using these results. Finally, remaining issues are highlighted to provide possible directions for future work.

/pdf/sq-and-eej-a-review-on-the-daily-variation-of-the-2vlnpg7jur.pdf

Sq and EEJ—A review on the daily variation of the geomagnetic field caused by ionospheric dynamo currents

. The dual frequency signals from the GPS satellites recorded at Rajkot (22.29° N, 70.74° E, Geographic, 14.03° N Geomagnetic) near the Equatorial ionization anomaly crest in India have been analyzed to study the ionospheric variations in terms of Total Electron Content (TEC) for the low solar activity period from April 2005 to December 2007. In this study, we describe the diurnal and seasonal variations of TEC, solar activity dependence of TEC and effects of a space weather related event, a geomagnetic storm on TEC. The diurnal variation of TEC shows pre-dawn minimum for a short period of time, followed by a steep early morning increase and then reaches maximum value between 14:00 LT and 16:00 LT. The mean diurnal variations during different seasons are brought out. It is found that TEC at Rajkot is at its maximum during Equinoctial months (March, April, September, October), and minimum during the Winter months (November, December, January, February), with intermediate values during Summer months (May, June, July, August), showing a semi annual variation. TEC values have been decreasing since 2005, onwards showing positive correlation with solar activity. TEC variations during the geomagnetic storm commencing 24 August 2005 with Dst=−216 nT are analysed. TEC shows a positive ionospheric storm effect on the first day of the storm and negative ionospheric storm effect on the next day. The equatorial Electrojet control on the development of the equatorial anomaly is also demonstrated.

/pdf/tec-variations-during-low-solar-activity-period-2005-2007-3fw6gteab0.pdf

TEC variations during low solar activity period (2005–2007) near the Equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly Crest region in India

[1] We explore the ionospheric effects of prompt penetration electric fields (PPEFs) for a variety of interplanetary magnetic field directions. We use the great magnetic storm of 30–31 October as an example of PPEF effects. For intense southward interplanetary magnetic fields (IMFs), inward plasma sheet convection occurs with the result of magnetospheric ring current formation and an intense magnetic storm. Concurrent with the above, positive phase ionospheric storms occur in the dayside, and negative phase ionospheric storms occur on the nightside, the topics of this paper. The dayside ionospheric storms due to PPEFs are characterized by transport of near-equatorial plasma to higher altitudes and latitudes, forming a giant plasma fountain. These features are part of what is called the dayside ionospheric superfountain (DIS). For these southward IMFs, dusk and dawn plasma are predicted to be transported toward the dayside. For northward IMFs, negative phase ionospheric storms are expected on the dayside if the PPEFs indeed reach that region of space. IMF By components are expected to have weak or neglible ionospheric effects. On the basis of PPEF arguments, intervals of IMF By should not be related to geomagnetic storms (they are not). IMF By intervals should, however, cause a shearing of the magnetotail, a feature that has been previously reported in the literature.

/pdf/prompt-penetration-electric-fields-ppefs-and-their-1y7jtx9uk9.pdf

Prompt penetration electric fields (PPEFs) and their ionospheric effects during the great magnetic storm of 30-31 October 2003

[1] The daytime equatorial electrojet is a narrow band of enhanced eastward current flowing in the 100–120 km altitude region within ±2° latitude of the dip equator. A unique way of determining the daytime strength of the electrojet is to observe the difference in the magnitudes of the horizontal (H) component between a magnetometer placed directly on the magnetic equator and one displaced 6°–9° away. The difference between these measured H values provides a direct measure of the daytime electrojet current and, in turn, the magnitude of the vertical E × B drift velocity in the F region ionosphere. This paper discusses a recent study where 27 months of magnetometer H component observations and daytime, vertical E × B drift velocities were obtained in the Peruvian longitude sector between August 2001 and December 2003. In order to establish the relationships between ΔH and E × B drift velocities for the 270 days of observations, three approaches were chosen: (1) a linear regression analysis, (2) a multiple regression approach, and (3) a neural network approach. The neural network method gives slightly lower RMS error values compared with the other two methods. The relationships for all three techniques are validated using an independent set of E × B drift observations from the Jicamarca incoherent scatter radar (ISR) located at Jicamarca, Peru. The techniques presented here will be incorporated into a recently developed, real-time Global Assimilation of Ionospheric Measurements (GAIM) model.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2004SW000095

Daytime vertical E × B drift velocities inferred from ground‐based magnetometer observations at low latitudes

Results are presented on continuous TEC measurements, taken along a chain of stations spaced between 0 deg N and 25 deg N and aligned roughly along the same longitude sector in India, that describe the day-to-day behavior of the location of equatorial anomaly in the TEC during the period of the 1975-1976 sunspot minimum, when the ATS spacecraft was visible from India. It was found that the presence or absence of the latitudinal anomaly in TEC on a particular day depended only on the strength of the electrojet current, as determined by the difference of the horizontal magnetic field at stations on the magnetic equator and stations outside the equatorial electrojet, rather than on the horizontal magnetic field measured only at equatorial stations.

J. A. Klobuchar

Papers

Ionospheric electron content within the equatorial F 2 layer anomaly belt