China-U.S. joint ground-based Fabry-Perot interferometer observations of thermospheric winds during a strong magnetic storm

Abstract:

During a strong magnetic storm (KP ~ 6), two Fabry-Perot interferometer from the China (Kelan: 39°N, 112°E, 33°N MLAT) and U.S. Millstone Hill (42.8°N, 71.5°W, MLAT 53°N) were used to check the longitudinal variations in the thermospheric wind due to the geomagnetic latitude differences between the Asian and American sectors. A large equatorward meridional winds (~ 300 m/s) was observed in Millstone Hill during the high geomagnetic activity. The high geomagnetic activity not just influenced the high MLAT longitude, but also in middle MLAT longitude. However, the influence in Kelan was quite different from Millstone Hill, which most significant variation was a large westward zonal wind (~ 200 m/s). Thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamics general circulation model simulations (TIEGCM) were used to compare with the observations, and good agreements between simulations and observations were shown in Millstone meridional wind and Kelan zonal wind.