Sudden Impulses: The influence of magnetospheric and ionospheric current systems on ground observations

Abstract:

The definite identification of the characteristics of the geomagnetic response to Solar Wind (SW) pressure changes represents an interesting element of the magnetospheric dynamics that is also important in the Space Weather context. In the present analysis, we discriminate between magnetospheric and ionospheric contributions in the ground response comparing ground and geostationary observations with the predictions of the Tsyganenko model for the different magnetospheric current systems (from the magnetopause, ring current, tail current, etc.). We focused on the influence of the magnetospheric current systems on ground observations in different Local Time (LT) sectors, investigating the possible effects of their different onset times.