Abstract We report an extraordinary L‐band scintillation event detected in the American sector on the night of 23–24 March 2023. The event was detected using observations distributed from the magnetic equator to mid latitudes. The observations were made by ionospheric scintillation and total electron content (TEC) monitors deployed at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO, ∼−1° dip latitude), at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (CRT, ∼20° dip latitude), and at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD, ∼42° dip latitude). The observations show intense pre‐ and post‐midnight scintillations at JRO, a magnetic equatorial site where L‐band scintillation is typically weak and limited to pre‐midnight hours. The observations also show long‐lasting extremely intense L‐band scintillations detected by the CRT monitor. Additionally, the rare occurrence of intense mid‐latitude scintillation was detected by the UTD monitor around local midnight. Understanding of the ionospheric conditions leading to scintillation was assisted by TEC and rate of change of TEC index (ROTI) maps. The maps showed that the observed scintillation event was caused by equatorial plasma bubble (EPB)‐like ionospheric depletions reaching mid latitudes. TEC maps also showed the occurrence of an enhanced equatorial ionization anomaly throughout the night indicating the action of disturbance electric fields and creating conditions that favor the occurrence of severe scintillation. Additionally, the ROTI maps confirm the occurrence of pre‐ and post‐midnight EPBs that can explain the long duration of low latitude scintillation. The observations describe the spatio‐temporal variation and quantify the severity of the scintillation impact of EPB‐like disturbances reaching mid latitudes.
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Unexpected STEVE Observations at High Latitude During Quiet Geomagnetic Conditions
Abstract Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE), is a captivating optical phenomenon typically observed in the mid‐latitude ionosphere. This paper presents an intriguing observation of a STEVE event at high‐latitudes, approximately 10 degrees poleward of previously documented observations. This event was recorded in Yellowknife, Canada, by a TREx RGB imager and a citizen scientist. Swarm satellites traversed the latitude of the observation, measuring extreme westwards ion drift velocities exceeding 4 km/s. Such velocities are more typically associated with the subauroral region located at mid‐latitudes, rather than at the high‐latitudes reported here. Significantly, this event occurred without a substorm, which differs from previous STEVE observations. While high‐latitude radars detected fast ionospheric equatorward flows, GOES satellite did not record any injections. These observations suggest that the inner magnetosphere is highly inflated. This unique case study raises new questions surrounding subauroral dynamics and the influence of magnetospheric configurations on ionospheric responses.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2445467
- PAR ID:
- 10674365
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Volume:
- 51
- Issue:
- 19
- ISSN:
- 0094-8276
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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