Winter-time dependence of the global TEC on the stratospheric temperature and solar radiation

Abstract

Cite this article as: Plamen Mukhtarov and Dora Pancheva, Winter-time dependence of the global TEC on the stratospheric temperature and solar radiation, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, http://dx.Abstract: This paper presents a simple linear regression model that enables to quantify the contribution of high-latitude stratospheric temperature and solar radiation (describes by its proxy F10.7) to the variability of the low-latitude TEC during winter. The model is based on cross-correlation analysis performed on the Aura MLS temperature measurements and the global CODE TEC data for the period of time 2005-2010, i.e. at low to moderate solar activity (F10.7 changes between ~ 65 and ~140 solar flux units). It revealed that the temperature at altitude of ~40 km and latitude of ~60°N describes the most typical winter conditions and shows the largest negative correlation with the low-latitude TEC. This temperature namely is included in the regression model. The model results have been compared with the TEC data by calculating the standard deviation (STD). The comparison indicated that the regression model describes almost half of the real variability of the global TEC and that the contribution of the temperature (that is only a part of forcing from below) is almost half of the solar variability (i.e. external forcing related to the photo-ionization). A possible mechanism for explaining the relationship between the high-latitude stratospheric increase of the temperature and low-latitude decrease of the TEC is suggested.

Analysis of the Ionospheric Response to Sudden Stratospheric Warming and Geomagnetic Forcing over Europe during February and March 2023

“…Stratospheric warming also begins on the same date. According to the study of the response of zonal mean TEC to stratospheric warming, a negative response is observed that increases towards tropical latitudes [18,21]. In this particular case, relative TEC decreases and becomes negative at low latitudes under both stratospheric warming and the decrease in F10.7 after 11 February.…”

“…These studies show that the influence of SSW on the ionospheric electron density occurs through the so-called "disturbed dynamo", a change in the wind system in the lower thermosphere and, as a consequence, anomalies in the electric fields that shape the EIA. In one paper [21], through a statistical analysis of the period 2005-2010 using TEC data under winter conditions, it was found that variations in stratospheric temperature at 60 • N latitude affect the TEC regardless of whether SSW occurs. In [22], a situation was simulated in which the October 2003 Halloween storm coincided in time with a major SSW.…”

Variations in Ionospheric Peak Electron Density During Sudden Stratospheric Warmings in the Arctic Region

“…The results of recent studies show convincingly that the sources in lower atmospheric layers (troposphere and stratosphere) can have a considerable effect on the ionospheric plasma condition (Kazimirovsky, ; Lastovicka, ; Yiğit et al, ). For example, equatorial ionosphere variability related to low atmosphere temperature changes is shown to be up to a half of the solar‐induced one (Mukhtarov & Pancheva, ). The above stimulates a growing interest in the atmospheric‐ionospheric coupling research.…”