28 March 2025 | 08:30 - 10:00 (MDT)
Open Session - HYBRID
Room: UMC Third Floor - 382
Organisers: Michael Hartinger (Space Science Institute); Lynn Harvey (Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at CU-Boulder, USA; Federico Gasperini (Orion Space Solutions)
Session Description:
Space weather refers to the conditions on the Sun, in the solar wind, and within Earth's magnetosphere and upper atmosphere that affect the performance and reliability of both space-based and terrestrial technologies. There are numerous interactions between space weather and Earth’s neutral atmosphere, with conditions in the lower atmosphere influencing the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, and vice versa. These interactions have significant implications across various scientific disciplines. In the polar regions, the coupling processes between the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere impact energetic particle precipitation, thermospheric and ionospheric variability, the polar vortex, polar ozone levels, tropospheric weather, and global climate models that incorporate electromagnetic and charged particle inputs.
Understanding these numerous interconnections and their impacts, particularly in the polar regions but also globally, requires coordinated discussions that bring together the space weather and atmospheric research communities. In this session we invite contributed talks that focus on connections between space weather and terrestrial weather/climate. Examples of topics include (but are not limited to):
- Polar atmospheric variability related to space weather, including the polar vortex, polar mesospheric clouds
- Connections between conditions in the troposphere/stratosphere and the upper atmosphere/ionosphere
- Impacts of climate change on space weather (e.g., future expectations for satellite drag and lifetimes of satellites in orbit, ionospheric scintillation and radio communications)
- Impacts of space weather on climate change
- Current and desired future state of atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere models leading up to IPY5
- Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations via future ground-based observations, satellite missions, etc. leading up to IPY5
Instructions for Speakers: Oral presentations in this session should be at most 15-minutes in length, with an additional 3 minutes for questions (unless more detailed instructions are provided by session conveners). See more detailed presenter instructions here.
Oral Presentations:
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unfold_morePulsating Aurora: Energetic Input into the Atmosphere — Allison Jaynes
Allison Jaynes 1; Jodie McLennan 1; Lily Daneshmand 1; Riley Troyer 2
1 University of Iowa; 2 Space Dynamics LabFormat: Oral in-person
Abstract:
Pulsating aurora is the result of particles in the magnetosphere getting scattered into the atmosphere by chorus waves in a semi-periodic pattern. This process constitutes a significant amount of energy transfer from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere because pulsating aurora is ubiquitous and can be long-lasting and widespread. Pulsating aurora is energetic enough that it can create chemical changes at lower altitudes in Earth’s atmosphere that can directly or indirectly cause local losses in ozone. In this presentation, we will summarize several recent studies that have looked at quantifying the energy content of pulsating aurora as well as the impact this type of aurora has had on atmospheric constitutents. We will argue that interhemispheric observations of energetic precipitation at high latitudes (using riometers, all-sky imagers, radars and VLF receivers) can play a crucial role in understanding pulsating aurora and the magnetosphere-atmosphere coupling processes that take place.
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unfold_moreIonospheric Responses to Tidal Waves Generated Beneath the MLT Region During Geomagnetically Quiet Days — Sovit Khadka
Sovit Khadka 1; Federico Gasperini 1
1 Orion Space SolutionsFormat: Oral in-person
Abstract:
The ionospheric response to wave generated beneath the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) is crucial for understanding vertical coupling, interactions, and connections between terrestrial and space weather in the ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) region. The availability of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-F18 (DMSP-F18) at the topside ionosphere (~840 km), Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)’s Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) at the topside ionospheric F-region (~590 km), and Swarm-C satellite at the middle thermosphere (~440 km) allow us to explore these features. Here, the plasma and neutral density variations, interactions and coupling processes within ±25° latitudes are examined concurrently by the DMSP-F18, ICON-IVM, and Swarm-C satellite during geomagnetically quiet days in 2020-2021. The longitudinal wavenumber (WN) patterns are computed in the form of electron, ion, and neutral density for three distinct altitudes and their latitudinal profiles are analyzed. Additionally, we investigate vertical-temporal-latitudinal tidal structures from the empirical Climatological Tidal Model of the Thermosphere (CTMT) to find evidence for the modulation of the global-scale waves (GSWs) of neutral density. Through the examination of the in-situ observational and modeling approaches, we show that the tidal contributors of WN structures obtained from CTMT can capture the influence of terrestrial sources on the WN structures of plasma-neutral density and imprint the corresponding vertical coupling in the IT system. This study provides new insights into the ionospheric response to wave driving beneath the MLT region, which ultimately enhances our capability to understand vertical coupling, the connections of GSWs, and space weather events from terrestrial weather perspectives, even during geomagnetically quiet days.
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unfold_moreContinuous Ionospheric High Frequency Doppler Providing 3-D Parameters of Atmospheric Gravity Waves in Scandinavia and Antarctic Peninsular — Jaroslav Urbar
Jaroslav Urbar 1; Jaroslav Chum 1; Jiri Base 1
1 Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Czech Academy of SciencesFormat: Oral virtual
Abstract:
HF Continuous Doppler Sounding Systems (CDSS) ionospheric measurements are suitable for constructing climatologies of atmospheric gravity waves (GW), real-time provision of infrasound ionospheric signatures and identification of medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbations (MSTID) wave parameters also relevant to GNSS accuracy degradations. Recently developed technique provides estimation of the actual altitude deviations still present in novel multifrequency-GNSS receivers. Such CDSS-based corrections work better than alternative concepts using ROTI, AATR, or MSTID index. Czech CDSS were deployed around Europe and in South Africa, but are in operation also in areas with highly disturbed equatorial ionosphere of Argentina and Taiwan. Recently the system was modified for operation in remote areas, having overall power requirement of transmitter below 3W, including on-board control of battery charging for stand-alone solar-powered, but ready to be included into other platforms. Multipoint technique using three transmitters placed at about 100km distance from one common receiver allows to reconstruct parameters of GW having individual reflection points corresponding to different sounding paths (transmitter-receiver pairs), its multifrequency option enables height-resolution as different frequencies are reflected simultaneously from different heights between ~150 and ~260 km, depending on ionospheric conditions. Taking advantage of ionosonde operated nearby the actual reflections heights can be obtained. The principle of monitoring the GW propagating at periods longer than about 5 min which enable interaction, „coupling“ of the lower and upper atmosphere is based on influence of the dynamics of the region in which GW dissipate, i.e. caused MSTID perturbations in the ionosphere, which influence propagation of HF electromagnetic waves used by CDSS.
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unfold_moreAdvancing Geospace Science in Polar Regions with Autonomous Magnetometers: Global Networks and Scientific Validation — Zhonghua Xu
Zhonghua Xu 1; Michael Hartinger 2; Kim Hyomin 3; Shane Coyle 1; Michelle Salzano 2; Robert Clauer 1
1 Virginia Tech; 2 Space Science Institute; 3 New Jersey Institute of TechnologyFormat: Oral virtual
Abstract:
By virtue of Earth's dipolar magnetic field, much of the magnetosphere maps to the polar regions, concentrating energy and momentum into the polar upper atmosphere. Millions of amperes of electrical current and energetic particle precipitation drive heating and influence the chemistry of the polar upper atmosphere. The polar regions, while harsh and isolated, offer a unique opportunity to study these dynamic interactions through autonomous magnetometers. These instruments have become indispensable for capturing high-resolution data, key to investigating the magnetosphere's interactions with the solar wind, including the generation of ionospheric currents that heat the upper atmosphere. This presentation will explore the deployment and operational strategies of autonomous magnetometers across polar regions, focusing on the NSF-funded project DASI Track 1—AUtonomous Remote geospace Observation and Research Array (AURORA). We will emphasize their contribution to long-term, continuous data collection in extreme conditions. Additionally, we will highlight their critical role in global geospace observation networks and their significance for international collaborations and space weather modeling, particularly in the lead-up to the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY5). These platforms, capable of supporting direct atmospheric monitoring (e.g., wind gauges, temperature sensors), underscore the value of low-power, self-sustaining technologies in advancing our understanding of polar geospace environments, space weather forecasting, and fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations.