EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Foster et al. 2002
Foster, J.C., Erickson, P.J., Coster, A.J., Goldstein, J. and Rich, F.J. (2002). Ionospheric signatures of plasmaspheric tails. Geophysical Research Letters 29: doi: 10.1029/2002GL015067. issn: 0094-8276.

We make direct comparisons between GPS maps of total electron content (TEC) over the North American continent, Millstone Hill radar observations of storm enhanced density, and low and high-altitude satellite measurements of the perturbation of the outer plasmasphere during the March 31, 2001 geomagnetic storm. We find that storm enhanced density (SED) and plumes of greatly-elevated TEC are associated with the erosion of the outer plasmasphere by strong sub-auroral polarization electric fields. The SED/TEC plumes identified at low altitude map closely onto the magnetospheric determination of the boundaries of the plasmapause and plasmaspheric tail determined by EUV imaging from the IMAGE spacecraft. Characteristics of the SED/TEC plumes/tails for the March 31, 2001 event are: TEC ~ 100 TECu; F-region sunward velocity ~1000 m/s; sunward flux ~5*1024 ions s-1; total transport to dayside magnetopause/merging region (3-hr event) ~5*1028 ions.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Plasmasphere, Ionosphere, Ionospheric disturbances, Ionosphere, Plasma convection, Ionosphere, Topside ionosphere
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit