Two very different events of high-latitude ionospheric traveling convection vortices (TCV) are studied on the basis of a very broad and dense collection of ground-based magnetometer data. A new display technique is introduced and used for the analyses. Many of the previously reported features of these events are confirmed, but some new features are revealed. Both events exhibit pronounced postnoon/prenoon asymmetry. Much substructure and complex dynamics of the vortex structures are also evident. One of the events is observed to be closely related to a very sudden and strong change in the large-scale polar ionospheric convection system. The difference between the two events, not only in this point, indicates the existence of at least two classes of TCV events, the distinction of which requires global analysis.¿ 1997 American Geophysical Union