Speaker
Description
The total electron content (TEC) refers to the total amount of free electrons along the ray path of a 1 square meter cross-section spanning from the ground through the ionosphere to a satellite, and is measured in TECU, where 1 TECU is 1016 electrons/m2. TEC enhancements are observed by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver in Zambia on 24, 27 Feb, and 1 Mar. Three additional GPS receivers located in Namibia, Kenya, and Uganda are used to understand the extent of the TEC enhancements during the period. Neutral wind data from the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM14) across low latitudes is investigated in an attempt to explain the TEC enhancements. Geomagnetic Indices are used to characterize geomagnetic activity, that could lead to the TEC enhancements. The indices indicate that 27 Feb was geomagnetically disturbed, which may explain the enhancement in TEC on 27 Feb. However, the enhancements on 24 Feb and 1 Mar occur during geomagnetically quiet conditions. Since the neutral winds from the HWM14 are dependent on the Ap index, the model only shows variations on 27 Feb and not on the other days. When Ap is low, HWM14 shows identical variations for each day and hence no significant deviations on 24 Feb and 1 Mar. GPS TEC data from the ground-based receiver in Zambia show an enhancement in TEC during the afternoon and evening hours. The enhancement of TEC on 1 Mar shifted further south of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) southern crest. TEC data enhancements on 1 Mar agree with electron densities from the Swarm satellite, which confirmed a southward motion of the southern crest of the EIA during the enhancement event.
| Apply for student award at which level: | MSc |
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