Higher‐Order Gravity Waves and Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances From the Polar Vortex Jet on 11–15 January 2016: Modeling With HIAMCM‐SAMI3 and Comparison With Observations in the Thermosphere and Ionosphere
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: In Vadas et al. (2024, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024ja032521 ), we modeled the atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) during 11–14 January 2016 using the HIAMCM, and found that the polar vortex jet generates medium to large‐scale, higher‐order GWs in the thermosphere. In this paper, we model the traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) generated by these GWs using the HIAMCM‐SAMI3 and compare with ionospheric observations from ground‐based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, Incoherent Scatter Radars (ISR) and the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN). We find that medium to large‐scale TIDs are generated worldwide by the higher‐order GWs from this event. Many of the TIDs over Europe and Asia have concentric ring/arc‐like structure, and most of those over North/South America have planar wave structure and occur during the daytime. Those over North/South America propagate southward and are generated by higher‐order GWs from Europe/Asia which propagate over the Arctic. These latter TIDs can be misidentified as arising from geomagnetic forcing. We find that the higher‐order GWs that propagate to Africa and Brazil from Europe may aid in the formation of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) there. We find that the simulated GWs, TIDs and EPBs agree with EISCAT, PFISR, GNSS, and SuperDARN measurements. We find that the higher‐order GWs are concentrated at N at 200 km, in agreement with GOCE and CHAMP data. Thus the polar vortex jet is important for generating TIDs in the northern winter ionosphere via multi‐step vertical coupling through GWs.
DOI: 10.1029/2024ja033040
Institutions: Northwest Research Associates, University of Birmingham, Syntek Technologies (United States), Arizona State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Scranton, Gdańsk University of Technology, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, George Washington University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, UK Research and Innovation, Sight Research UK, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Office of Nuclear Energy, Natural Environment Research Council, Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Awards: G1625927114, G1663524, G2490627998, G2736594453, Collaborative Research: CEDAR--Higher-Order Concentric Gravity Waves in the Northern Winter Thermosphere and Ionosphere, G3558150880, G4676281165, G5831872665, G5972578346, CAREER: Amateur Radio as a Tool for Studying Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances and Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling, Collaborative Research: Modeling of Secondary and Tertiary Gravity Waves from Orographic Gravity Wave Forcing and Comparison with Satellite Observations, DRivers and Impacts of Ionospheric Variability with EISCAT-3D (DRIIVE), G7732673260, G8310287490, G8616192033
OpenAlex ID: W4405867504