SM44A-06
Quantitative analysis of the dynamics and morphology of substorm aurora
Thursday, 17 December 2015: 17:09
2018 (Moscone West)
Kyle R Murphy1, David G Sibeck2, Clare Watt3, Jonathan Rae4, Larry Kepko1, Ian Robert Mann5, Eric Donovan6 and Emma Spanswick6, (1)NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States, (2)NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, United States, (3)University of Reading, Reading, RG6, United Kingdom, (4)University College London, London, United Kingdom, (5)University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, (6)University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Abstract:
We use the array of THEMIS all sky imagers to present a statistical analysis of 26 isolated substorms from the growth through early expansion phase using newly developed quantitative auroral tracking tools. The objective is to develop a clear and consistent spatiotemporal description of poleward auroral features associated with poleward boundary intensifications and auroral streamers and of the equatorward auroral arc associated with substorm onset. By using quantitative analysis we determine an occurrence rate for high-speed auroral forms associated with high-speed ionospheric flow channels during the substorm growth phase and how many of these auroral forms can be associated with substorm onset. Our new method allows progression from qualitative analysis of the aurora and substorms towards reproducible, quantitative studies of substorm aurora.
