SA54A-05:
Comparison of global ionospheric response to Sudden Stratospheric Warming events in 2009 and 2013
Friday, 19 December 2014: 5:00 PM
Syed Irfan Azeem, Atmospheric and Space Technology Research Associates LLC, Boulder, CO, United States and Casey Honniball, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
Abstract:
Recent studies have shown variations in the low latitude ionosphere that are linked to Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events. Although previous studies have provided important information on the ionospheric response to SSW events, they have been fairly localized. Therefore, broader observational capabilities and data are required that can unambiguously reveal the instantaneous global response of the ionosphere to SSW events. In this paper, we present results from ASTRA’s Ionospheric Data Assimilation Four-Dimensional (IDA4D) algorithm to describe a global view of the ionospheric variability during SSW events in 2009 and 2013. In both years, the response is characterized by above normal TECs during the day-time and below average TECs during the night-time. In this study, we also show that even though the 2009 SSW was stronger than the 2013 SSW, the ionospheric response in 2009 was significantly weaker than that in 2013.
