[1] We present observations of the F-region ionosphere over Arecibo, Puerto Rico (18.34°N, 66.75°W), during the January-February 2008 and January-February 2009 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events. For the first period (2008), we have used incoherent scatter radar (ISR) electron density and temperature measurements from the Arecibo Observatory (AO), as well as relative total electron content (TEC) derived from a dual-frequency GPS receiver. For the second event (2009), during which we observed the largest recorded stratospheric warming, we have used the relative GPS TEC. Our analysis indicates that the ionosphere over Arecibo exhibits perturbations after the SSW, the effects are most visible during the daytime. The strongest signatures are observed in the TEC measurements, represented by large enhancements (with respect to non SSW days), particularly during daytime hours. However, the local time dependence of these enhancements is not the same in the two events. In addition, the data show that our results are consistent with the larger than normal daytime vertical drift differences observed at the magnetic equator over Jicamarca. The electron temperature is also affected during the daytime due to changes in electron density, indicating that the electron temperatures is influenced, indirectly, by changes in planetary wave activity in the lower altitudes.Citation: Chau, J. L., N. A. Aponte, E. Cabassa, M. P. Sulzer, L. P. Goncharenko, and S. A. González (2010), Quiet time ionospheric variability over Arecibo during sudden stratospheric warming events,

We present the first simultaneous observations of mesospheric neutral calcium, its ion, and electron density over Arecibo obtained on adjacent nights in December 2009. A good correlation is seen between Sporadic‐E and ion layers while the neutrals have different characteristics. The measurements reveal that average abundances in electron densities and ions to be at a maximum on 9 December with values ∼4.8 × 109 electrons cm−2 and 3.4 × 107 ions cm−2, while those of the neutrals to be low, of the order of 9.7 × 106 atoms cm−2. The neutral abundance maximizes with values of 1.8 × 107 atoms cm−2 on 10 December, when both ions and electrons display weak layers with abundances almost 3 times lower than on the previous night. A significant correlation between the ions and neutrals indicates that sudden enhancements are caused by advection while a poor correlation is related to chemistry. This study reveals that the ion‐neutral coupling is most efficient between 92 and 95 km. Also, the ion‐to‐neutral ratio is dependent on the strength of the ions or Sporadic‐E and can exceed 3.0 during such events. We present evidence of neutralization of the ionized layers occurring on scales of a few tens of minutes for the first time. This agrees fairly well with the lifetimes of Ca+ against neutralization as predicted by recent ion‐neutral reactions.

We present case studies of the mesospheric alkali and non-alkali metals, Na and Fe, along with electron concentrations [N e , respectively, within the sporadic-E layer. In order to investigate ion-neutral coupling, a correlative analysis was performed in two altitude regions. Similar features are seen between neutrals and electrons in the 96-100-km altitude range, while within the altitude range of 80-90 km, an opposite behavior is seen. A comparative study between neutral layers below 90 km often referred to as the main or permanent layer and sporadic activity above 90 km reveals different characteristics for alkali and non-alkali metal. Fe concentrations in the main layer are higher than in Fe s resulting in a density ratio of less than 1 determined from two layers of 3 km thickness centered at 97 and 87 km. For the case of Na, the ratio exceeds 1 during E s activity on both the nights. The case studies discussed in this work facilitate our understanding of different factors that can influence the sporadic activity in alkali and non-alkali metals. In a region dominated by ion-molecule chemistry, temperature fluctuations that can be induced by wave activity will have more impact on Na than for Fe within their layers depending on altitude.