Ionospheric Density Enhancements at Low and Middle Latitudes during Superstorms Observed from Multiple Satellites

Jiuhou Lei, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China, Wenbin Wang, National Center for Atmospheric Research, High Altitude Observatory, Boulder, United States, Alan Geoffrey Burns, NCAR, HAO, Boulder, CO, United States and Xinan Yue, UCAR, Boulder, CO, United States
Abstract:
The total electron content (TEC) data measured by the Jason, CHAMP, GRACE and SAC-C satellites, the in-situ electron densities from CHAMP and GRACE, and the vertical E×B drifts from the ROCSAT satellite are utilized to examine the ionospheric response to superstorms. The combination of observations from multiple satellites provides a unique global view of positive ionospheric storm effect at low and middle latitudes, especially over Oceans and under sunlit conditions during the main phases of the storms. In this talk, we will focus on the morphology, evolution and driving mechanisms of the storm-time ionosphere and explore the relative contributions of the horizontal and vertical transport effects to the observed positive storm phase at different latitudes.
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