Monitoring ionospheric irregularities in the southern auroral region by means of a satellite beacon

Abstract

During 1984 total electron content (TEC) data were gathered from Melbourne, a mid-latitude station, and from Macquarie Island in the southern auroral zone, using the Faraday rotation of geostationary satellite signals. Large-scale fluctuations in the TEC due to auroral activity were observed from Macquarie Island, and some of these disturbances were seen to propagate towards Melbourne with speeds of 200 to 1,000 m/s. Large-scale rapid decreases in TEC were observed during the evening hours of about one third of autumn equinox days studied. These decreases occurred at a geomagnetic latitude of approximately 60øS and could be associated with the main ionospheric trough travelling through the ray path from the satellite to the receiving station.

Antarctic studies of the coupled ionosphere-m agnetosphere system

“…Multiple frequency pulsations occurring on the same field line have also been reported by and by Lin (1986). The formation and dynamics of the main ionospheric trough have been extensively studied in the last decade using data from aiss at Siple and Halley, and from total electron content data recorded near 90° E. The topics addressed include the morphology of the trough, the effects of the imf, the response of the trough to substorm activity, the longitudinal structure of the trough, the relative importance of moderate-energy electron precipitation and the transport of plasma by the convection electric field in the evening and morning sectors for the formation of the poleward edge of the trough (see Lambert & Cohen 1986;Rodger et 1986;Rodger & Dudeney 1987 and the references therein).…”