We have analyzed small-scale electric and magnetic field variations and electron fluxes which were obtained by the Akebono (EXOS D) satellite in the polar cap region. An electron precipitation most often coincides with a large gradient of flow velocity in which div E is negative (type 1). However, sometimes a steep negative div E is seen only at the edge of a wider region of electron precipitation (type 2). We also observed cases where no particle precipitation occurred in the region of negative div E (type 3). For both type 1 and type 2 cases, a common signature is a spikelike enhancement in the electric field and associated plasma flow in which electron precipitation can be seen on a side where div E is negative. The direction of the spikelike flow is not unique; both sunward flow and antisunward flow are observed. hence the location of the upward current and the downward current with respect to the noon-night direction depends on the flow direction in the spike. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1993