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Atmosphere
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Coupling between Plasmasphere and Upper Atmosphere
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Coupling between Plasmasphere and Upper Atmosphere

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Upper Atmosphere".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 4502

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nigang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Planetary Environmental and Astrobiological Research Laboratory (PEARL), School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
Interests: solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling; magnetospheric plasma waves; plasmaspheric waves; wave-particle interaction
Dr. Si Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Physics and Electronic Sciences, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Interests: plasmaspheric waves; gravity wave; wave-particle interaction; magnetosphere

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The plasmasphere, an inner part of the magnetosphere, is filled with cold and dense plasma of ionospheric origin. The outer boundary of the plasmasphere is located typically between 4 and 6 Re above the Earth's surface. Plasma inside the plasmasphere is guided by the magnetic field lines close to the Earth. Energy and particle transport frequently occurs between the plasmasphere and upper atmosphere, playing a vital role in controlling the geospace environment. 

Understanding the coupling between the plasmasphere and upper atmosphere requires a comprehensive investigation of the related physical processes under various solar wind and geomagnetic conditions. A large number of advanced missions have provided great opportunities for observations of the plasma, wave, and field in the plasmasphere and upper atmosphere, and allowed for simultaneous and conjugate measurements to be taken between these two regions. Based on the observational data, theoretical and numerical works can model and reproduce dynamics, for instance, particle heating and precipitation in the plasmasphere, the depletion and refilling of plasmasphere, the heating of the upper atmosphere, and aurora activities. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of papers that bring new insights into the coupling between the plasmasphere and upper atmosphere. We welcome the submission of observational, theoretical, and numerical studies on the relevant directions on this topic, which could promote the understanding and forecasting of space weather.

Dr. Nigang Liu
Dr. Si Liu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • plasmasphere
  • upper atmosphere
  • ionosphere
  • magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling
  • energy and particle transport

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3865 KiB  
Article
Magnetosphere–Ionosphere Conjugate Harang Discontinuity and Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) Phenomena Observed by Multipoint Satellites
by Ildiko Horvath and Brian C. Lovell
Atmosphere 2024, 15(12), 1462; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15121462 - 7 Dec 2024
Viewed by 947
Abstract
It is well understood that near midnight, the Harang Discontinuity separates the auroral duskside eastward electrojet (EEJ) and dawnside westward electrojet (WEJ) and associated plasma flows driven by enhanced magnetospheric convections via Magnetosphere–Ionosphere (M–I) coupling. There are conflicting reports regarding the significance of [...] Read more.
It is well understood that near midnight, the Harang Discontinuity separates the auroral duskside eastward electrojet (EEJ) and dawnside westward electrojet (WEJ) and associated plasma flows driven by enhanced magnetospheric convections via Magnetosphere–Ionosphere (M–I) coupling. There are conflicting reports regarding the significance of Region1 (R1) and R2 currents and the enhancement of Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) in the Harang region. We investigate the M–I conjugate Harang and SAPS phenomena using multipoint satellite observations. Results show the inner-magnetosphere (1) Harang region at midnight (between the plasmapause and the closed/open field-line boundary) with (2) a strong SAPS electric field (EX ≈ 30 mV/m; in magnitude) in a fast-time voltage generator (VGFT) near the plasmapause and the topside ionosphere (3) Harang Discontinuity (where R1 and R2 currents flow along) with (4) an enhanced SAPS flow (~1800 m/s) in the underlying VGFT system (requiring no R2 currents). From these (1–4) findings we conclude (i) the significance of both R1 and R2 currents in the observed M–I conjugate Harang phenomenon’s development, (ii) the different development of the reversing EEJ–WEJ compared to the regular auroral EEJ and WEJ in the topside ionosphere R1–R2 system, and (iii) the R2 currents’ absence in the enhanced SAPS flow newly formed in the VGFT system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupling between Plasmasphere and Upper Atmosphere)
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21 pages, 11534 KiB  
Article
Investigating Different Interpolation Methods for High-Accuracy VTEC Analysis in Ionospheric Research
by Serkan Doğanalp and İrem Köz
Atmosphere 2024, 15(8), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15080986 - 17 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1245
Abstract
The dynamic structure of the ionosphere and its changes play an important role in comprehending the natural cycle by linking earth sciences and space sciences. Ionosphere research includes a variety of fields like meteorology, radio wave reflection from the atmosphere, atmospheric anomaly detection, [...] Read more.
The dynamic structure of the ionosphere and its changes play an important role in comprehending the natural cycle by linking earth sciences and space sciences. Ionosphere research includes a variety of fields like meteorology, radio wave reflection from the atmosphere, atmospheric anomaly detection, the impact on GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) signals, the exploration of earthquake precursors, and the formation of the northern lights. To gain further insight into this layer and to monitor variations in the total electron content (TEC), ionospheric maps are created using a variety of data sources, including satellite sensors, GNSS data, and ionosonde data. In these maps, data deficiencies are addressed by using interpolation methods. The objective of this study was to obtain high-accuracy VTEC (Vertical Total Electron Content) information to analyze TEC anomalies as precursors to earthquakes. We propose an innovative approach: employing alternative mathematical surfaces for VTEC calculations, leading to enhanced change analytical interpretation for anomaly detections. Within the scope of the application, the second-degree polynomial method, kriging (point and block model), the radial basis multiquadric, and the thin plate spline (TPS) methods were implemented as interpolation methods. During a 49-day period, the TEC values were computed at three different IGS stations, generating 1176 hourly grids for each interpolation model. As reference data, the ionospheric maps produced by the CODE (Center for Orbit Determination in Europe) Analysis Center were used. This study’s findings showed that, based on statistical values, the TPS model offered more accurate results than other methods. Additionally, it has been observed that the peak values in TEC calculations based on polynomial surfaces are eliminated in TPSs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupling between Plasmasphere and Upper Atmosphere)
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14 pages, 4987 KiB  
Article
GNSS/AQUA Fusion Study of Atmospheric Response Characteristics and Interaction Mechanisms during the 2022 Tonga Volcanic Eruption
by Lulu Ming, Fuyang Ke, Xiangxiang Hu, Wanganyin Cui and Pan Zhao
Atmosphere 2023, 14(11), 1619; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14111619 - 28 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1494
Abstract
A large-scale underwater volcanic eruption occurred at the volcano of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) on 15 January 2022. At present, there is no consensus on the ionospheric response characteristics and interaction mechanism during volcanic eruptions. Based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), [...] Read more.
A large-scale underwater volcanic eruption occurred at the volcano of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) on 15 January 2022. At present, there is no consensus on the ionospheric response characteristics and interaction mechanism during volcanic eruptions. Based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), AQUA satellite’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the experiment studies the response characteristics of the ionosphere and gravity waves during the eruption of the volcano and their interaction mechanisms and the International Real-Time Geomagnetic Observation Network (INTERMAGNET). First, a geomagnetic anomaly was detected before the eruption, which caused variations in the ionospheric VTEC (Vertical Total Electron Content) by about 15 TECU. Based on the IGS (International GNSS Service) observations, the VTEC distribution between 60° north and south latitudes was retrieved. The results show that before and after the eruption of Tonga Volcano, significant ionospheric anomalies were observed to the south, northwest and southwest of the volcano, with a maximum anomaly of 15 TECU. The study indicates that the geomagnetic anomaly disturbance is one of the precursors of volcanic eruption and has a certain degree of impact on the ionosphere. A correlation between geomagnetic anomalies and ionospheric anomalies was found to exist. The vast impact from the volcanic eruption excites gravity waves over the surface, which then propagate longitudinally, further perturbing the ionosphere. It is also detected that the ionospheric anomaly perturbation has a high coincidence effect with the gravity wave anomaly. Therefore, the gravity waves generated by atmospheric variations are used to explain the ionospheric perturbation phenomenon caused by volcanic eruptions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coupling between Plasmasphere and Upper Atmosphere)
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