Observations of the Ionospheric Response to a Weak Substorm Onset

Abstract:

We present observations of substorm onset at Tromsø, Norway. This event was unusually well observed by ground magnetometers, incoherent scatter radar, satellites, an allsky camera and a scintillation monitor in the vicinity of the onset location. At onset, ground magnetometer observations indicate the formation of a westward electrojet above Tromsø and, at the same location, allsky camera images show an arc brightening and moving poleward. Satellite observations are consistent with an onset location at Tromsø, followed by a westward surge of dipolarization. Two features of the ionospheric response are observed by the incoherent scatter radar at Tromsø: 1) At onset, ion drift velocities reduce sharply from 100-400 m/s to roughly zero, consistent with a field-aligned potential drop shielding the ionosphere from magnetospheric convection. 2) There is a two-stage enhancement of the westward electrojet, with each stage directly preceded by an increase of ionization. Both these features are consistent with the theory that the inner magnetosphere acts neither as a current nor a voltage generator during substorm onset.

Figure shows EISCAT observations of line-of-sight ion drifts, electron and ion temperatures. There is a transition from ExB drift, indicated by a decrease in ion velocity in panel (a), to electron precipitation indicated by increased electron temperatures in panel (b). Substorm onset occurs at the transition time, around 20:02:30 UT.