A previously studied model of the interaction of a plasma cloud (jetting across the geomagnetic field) with the surrounding ionosphere is implemented by considering the impact on the cloud's dynamics of the Alfv¿n waves reflected back from the highly collisional (&ngr;i>&ohgr;ci) E layer. The effect of the E layer is accounted for by terminating the ionosphere in a sharp lower boundary where a discontinuity of the conductivity is allowed. It is found that the results are strongly dependent on the (complex) reflection coefficient of the wave at the discontinuity surface. Some limiting cases are numerically analyzed and discussed in connection with previous results. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1988