1. Introduction
Within the Earth’s plasma environment (ionosphere, plasmasphere, magnetosphere), all regions are closely connected. Due to external forcing, perturbations can be observed in the individual plasma layers. All physical effects that cause measurable changes in the solar wind (SW), the outer and inner magnetosphere, the ionosphere, and the thermosphere around the Earth are called space weather processes. The space weather events, like the Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICME-induced events) and the Stream Interaction Regions (SIRs) / Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) that arrive at our Earth cause a so-called geomagnetic storm in the plasma environment of the planet. There were many studies, which dealt with the identification and geoeffectiveness of these two types of geomagnetic storms (see e.g. [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]).
The SIR/CIR-driven geomagnetic storms usually do not have a sudden storm commencement (SSC) phase, but the magnitude of the generated effects sometimes can be larger than the ICME caused ones (see [
5,
7]). This is the result of the fact that a SIR/CIR-storm has a longer duration, therefore can deposit roughly the same amount or even more energy into the upper atmosphere than most of the moderate ICME-storms do over the entire period of their course [
8,
9]. About these storm types, see the articles
[4,6,10,11,12,13,14,15]. The intensity of these geomagnetic storms is typically only weak to moderate, which is connected to the highly oscillatory nature of the GSM magnetic field z component within CIRs [
7].
The perturbations caused in the ionosphere during geomagnetic storms are called ionospheric storms, and their effects can be observed for 1-10 days. In terms of the variation with respect to a quiet day, we can define a positive (electron density increase) and a negative (electron density decrease) ionospheric storm. The general course of the midlatitude ionospheric F2-layer response to geomagnetic storms was described by Rishbeth et al. [
16] and recently summarized by Prölss [
17] (see also reviews and case studies of [
18,
19,
20,
21,
22,
23,
24,
25]). The ICME and SIR/CIR-induced geomagnetic storms have different time courses and result in different magnitudes of ionospheric perturbations. There are several processes that have to be considered during the examination of the mid- and low-latitude ionosphere, namely: photo-production, chemical loss and transport by thermal expansion, neutral winds, waves, tides and electric fields of internal and external origin [
12]. The Earth’s plasma environment is a very complex, tightly coupled system, and the effects cannot be studied and explained in their entirety if we do not consider them as part of the system. In addition, several other influencing factors must be taken into consideration, such as: geomagnetic storm intensity, local time (LT) of the SSC and of the storm evolution, season, geomagnetic latitude and longitude, past history of geomagnetic activity, and the state of the Ionosphere-Thermosphere system ([
12,
13,
26]).
The main aim of this study is to compare the ionospheric responses observed at the three European ionospheric stations considered and the different ionosonde instruments during the two geomagnetic storms associated with the two different solar sources: ICME and SIR/CIR event. Using also thermospheric [O]/[N2] and ratio of Total Electron Content (rTEC) difference data we describe the underlying mechanism during the course of the events.
Since the exact effect mechanisms are not yet known, case studies like this can provide new results. Deepening our knowledge in this research area is of high importance if we want to predict the impact of space weather events.
In
Section 2, we describe the data used during the study. Then, in
Section 3 (Results), we present the different measurement plots. After that, in
Section 4 (Discussion), we compare the results with previous studies to provide a clear picture of the events.
4. Discussion
Despite the basic physics of the F2 mid-latitude ionosphere is known [
17], the impact of the single geomagnetic storm is currently not predictable due to the dependence of different factors: geomagnetic storm intensity, SSC time, LT, geomagnetic latitude, the past state of the Thermosphere-Ionosphere system and the past history of the geomagnetic activity.
Here we have analyzed and discussed the possible mechanisms which are leading the processes in the ionospheric F2-layer in the European sector during different types of geomagnetic storms.
From the comparison of the observations from the two ionosondes located in Rome we can conclude that the RO AIS and DPS ionosondes measure the same values, therefore in the following figures we have plotted only the data of DPS Digisonde.
As another main objective of this study, we have analyzed three station data from Europe during two geomagnetic storm events, one ICME-driven and one SIR/CIR-driven event. For this purpose we have calculated the deltafoF2 and deltahF2, which represent the storm-time value in percentage. Besides, for this purpose we checked also the TIMED/GUVI measured [O]/[N2] ratio, and the rTEC data. For the ICME-driven storm case we have examined the background condition: IMF Bz turned southward two times after the SSC, from 06 to 09 UT and between 12 to 06 UT of 18th March (for ca. 18 hours), the SW speed oscillated between 550-650 km/s, the AE index maximum was almost 1600 nT at 13 UT with maximum Kp of 7.67 on 17th March in the main phase of the storm. The condition during the SIR/CIR-driven storm: the IMF Bz had one long southward turning between 00-07 UT (7 hours) on 01st June, the SW speed started to increase from 400 up to 680 km/s the same day from 06 to 12 UT and reached its maximum with 770 km/s on 2nd June. The maximal Kp value was 7.00 at 06 UT, while in the AE index the maximum was at 03 and 06 UT with 1200 nT in the main phase of the geomagnetic storm (which lasted until 08 UT on 1st June).
In both cases, during the longer Bz southward turning period the maximal AE, Kp and Dst index values are reached and in the ionosphere during these intervals the ICME-driven storm cause significant latitude dependent positive ionospheric storm phase, which around the end of this Bz period, turned into extremely negative during the night hours.
For the St. Patrick’s Day storm after the first increase of AE index at 06-09 UT on 17
th March an foF2 positive phase in the three stations is observed more closely in time in Pruhonice and Sopron and with some delay in Rome indicating the passage of a Travelling Atmospheric Disturbance (TAD). A nighttime negative phase is seen in all the stations that is prolonged during daytime of 18
th March for Pruhonice, the higher geomagnetic latitude station. Looking at TIMED/GUVI observations a decrease of [O]/[N
2] is seen at high latitude of the Northern hemisphere that can explain the daytime negative storm in Pruhonice. A decreased [O]/[N
2] ratio is kept on 18
th -20
th March (see
Figure 7a) and this is presumably due to the transfer of the disturbed neutral composition from the auroral zone during nighttime hours when the thermospheric wind is equatorward. Therefore that was a classic two-phase storm effect normally taking place when a severe ICME induced geomagnetic storm [
50].
During the SIR/CIR-driven event a slight negative phase is seen in Pruhonice and Sopron while in Rome (lower latitude) a positive ionospheric storm phase is recorded from 19 UT on 01
st June to 03 UT on 02
nd June. A sharp decrease was registered in the deltafoF2 data in all stations, at the Bz southward turning period, reaching its most negative value with -40% at the exact time when the Bz turned back northward around 08 UT on 01
st June. It should be stressed that during summer months, the thermospheric circulation is pre-eminently equatorward, and the disturbed thermospheric composition is able to reach the Rome latitude [
51].
Additionally, when we look at the rTEC data we can see the equatorward movement of the negative phase region, in accordance with what we observed with the ionosondes. In the study of Berényi et al. [
25] we determined for the 2015 March case that this equatorward propagating negative region is related to the midlatitude/main ionospheric trough (MIT), which is the ionospheric footprint of the plasmapause (PP) (see for more [
52]). Therefore, during that case on these data, we observed the shrinking of the plasmasphere because of the generally known process of a geomagnetic disturbance ([
53]). For the SIR/CIR-driven 2013 June storm we propose, that in the deltafoF2 and rTEC data we see the equatorward propagation of a daytime MIT in the early recovery storm phase, which was seen as the equatorward movement of a latitudinally elongated negative phase. This negative phase was deepened by the depleted thermospheric [O]/[N
2] ratio. In future study, to validate our assumption digisonde drift, zonal wind data, satellite electron and neutral density observations and temperature or Horizontal Wind Model 2007 (HWM07, [
39]) data is required, which would show westward plasma drift with ~400 m/s if this feature is linked to an MIT ([
25,
52]).
The negative phases observed in deltafoF2 (
Figure 5, upper plots) during both storms show the uplifting of the F2 layer (
Figure 5, lower plots) and the daytime [O]/[N
2] ratio decrease (
Figure 7), in agreement with the storm mechanism mid-latitude daytime F2 layer. The main cause of a negative ionospheric storm is indeed related to the decreased [O]/[N
2] ratio, which is generated by the storm-time Joule-heating leading to the formation of a composition disturbance zone (with decreased [O]/[N
2] rate) this zone is transported by the enhanced equatorward thermospheric meridional winds ([
18,
45,
54,
55,
56]). This process and the equatorward motion of the MIT have different time courses, but they can interact with each other leading to a more pronounced F2 layer electron density decrease.
To highlight the main difference between the ionospheric effect of the two types of geomagnetic storms it can be stated that the ICME-driven storms tend to trigger the formation of TADs (see
Figure 10) due to the presence of SSC, while this aspect is absent in the case of SIR/CIR-driven storms (see
Figure 11). We noticed also that for what concerns ICME, as expected latitude dependent ionospheric effects are seen, while during the SIR/CIR-driven case we do not see any significant latitude dependence over the analyzed European ionosonde stations. However, this could be due to the different seasons that in the latter case allow the disturbed composition to reach the Rome latitude.
Figure 1.
The condition of the interplanetary medium, namely the IMF Bz component on the upper plots and the solar wind speed on the lower plots are portrayed. (a) is for ICME-driven storm from 2015 March, (b) is for SIR/CIR-driven storm from 2013 June. The UT of the SSC was at 16:17 for the 2013 storm and at 04:45 for the 2015 storm, marked with red dotted lines.
Figure 1.
The condition of the interplanetary medium, namely the IMF Bz component on the upper plots and the solar wind speed on the lower plots are portrayed. (a) is for ICME-driven storm from 2015 March, (b) is for SIR/CIR-driven storm from 2013 June. The UT of the SSC was at 16:17 for the 2013 storm and at 04:45 for the 2015 storm, marked with red dotted lines.
Figure 2.
The geomagnetic Dst, AE and Kp indices (starting from the top) are plotted on this figure. (a) is for ICME-driven storm from 2015 March, (b) is for SIR/CIR-driven storm from 2013 June. The UT of the SSC was at 16:17 for the 2013 storm and at 04:45 for the 2015 storm, marked with red dotted lines.
Figure 2.
The geomagnetic Dst, AE and Kp indices (starting from the top) are plotted on this figure. (a) is for ICME-driven storm from 2015 March, (b) is for SIR/CIR-driven storm from 2013 June. The UT of the SSC was at 16:17 for the 2013 storm and at 04:45 for the 2015 storm, marked with red dotted lines.
Figure 3.
The calculated three quiet day means of foF2 and hF2 parameters for all three stations, by both storms, where (a) show the reference mean values from 2015 March and (b) show the reference mean values from 2013 June.
Figure 3.
The calculated three quiet day means of foF2 and hF2 parameters for all three stations, by both storms, where (a) show the reference mean values from 2015 March and (b) show the reference mean values from 2013 June.
Figure 4.
The foF2, h’F2 parameter comparison between the two ionosondes in Rome (Italy) ionospheric observatory: RO041 (DPS type) and RM041 (AIS type) during the (a) ICME- and (b) SIR/CIR-driven storms. Data of 01st and 02nd June 2013 are not shown due a lack of AIS-INGV data during the whole day.
Figure 4.
The foF2, h’F2 parameter comparison between the two ionosondes in Rome (Italy) ionospheric observatory: RO041 (DPS type) and RM041 (AIS type) during the (a) ICME- and (b) SIR/CIR-driven storms. Data of 01st and 02nd June 2013 are not shown due a lack of AIS-INGV data during the whole day.
Figure 7.
TIMED/GUVI [O]/[N2] data for the (a) 2015 and the (b) 2013 storm cases.
Figure 7.
TIMED/GUVI [O]/[N2] data for the (a) 2015 and the (b) 2013 storm cases.
Figure 8.
The rTEC data for the ICME-driven storm case from 2015. We focus on the main phase between 16 UT on 17
th and 06 UT on 18
th March, when extremely depleted plasma, corresponding to negative deltafoF2, was detected at night at all the ionosonde stations shown in
Figure 5. The local noon is indicated by a vertical red line on the plots [
49].
Figure 8.
The rTEC data for the ICME-driven storm case from 2015. We focus on the main phase between 16 UT on 17
th and 06 UT on 18
th March, when extremely depleted plasma, corresponding to negative deltafoF2, was detected at night at all the ionosonde stations shown in
Figure 5. The local noon is indicated by a vertical red line on the plots [
49].
Figure 9.
The rTEC data for the SIR/CIR-driven storm case from 2013. Here we show only the main phase between 02-16 UT on 01
st June, when extremely depleted plasma was detected during the day in deltafoF2 at all the ionosonde stations in
Figure 5. The local noon is indicated by a vertical red line on the plots [
49].
Figure 9.
The rTEC data for the SIR/CIR-driven storm case from 2013. Here we show only the main phase between 02-16 UT on 01
st June, when extremely depleted plasma was detected during the day in deltafoF2 at all the ionosonde stations in
Figure 5. The local noon is indicated by a vertical red line on the plots [
49].
Figure 10.
The digisonde MUF(D) and isodensity data for the ICME-driven storm case from 2015. Here we show only the main and early recovery phase 17th -18th March, when wavelike anomalies were observed in foF2 data. With orange dotted lines, the AE index peaks are indicated with its values. The light blue dotted line shows the exact time of the Dst minimum value, which show the end of the main phase of the geomagnetic storm.
Figure 10.
The digisonde MUF(D) and isodensity data for the ICME-driven storm case from 2015. Here we show only the main and early recovery phase 17th -18th March, when wavelike anomalies were observed in foF2 data. With orange dotted lines, the AE index peaks are indicated with its values. The light blue dotted line shows the exact time of the Dst minimum value, which show the end of the main phase of the geomagnetic storm.
Figure 11.
The digisonde MUF and isodensity data for the SIR/CIR-driven storm case from 2013. Here we show only the main and early recovery phase 01st -02nd June, when wavelike anomalies were observed in foF2 data. With orange dotted lines, the AE index peaks are indicated with its values. The light blue dotted line shows the exact time of the Dst minimum value, which shows the end of the main phase of the geomagnetic storm.
Figure 11.
The digisonde MUF and isodensity data for the SIR/CIR-driven storm case from 2013. Here we show only the main and early recovery phase 01st -02nd June, when wavelike anomalies were observed in foF2 data. With orange dotted lines, the AE index peaks are indicated with its values. The light blue dotted line shows the exact time of the Dst minimum value, which shows the end of the main phase of the geomagnetic storm.
Table 1.
The information about the three ionospheric stations considered in this study. For the geomagnetic coordinates, International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-13)-model (for the year 2015) based calculator was used.
Table 1.
The information about the three ionospheric stations considered in this study. For the geomagnetic coordinates, International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-13)-model (for the year 2015) based calculator was used.
|
Name of the station |
Station ID (ionosonde type) |
Geomagnetic Latitude (deg) |
Geomagnetic Longitude (deg) |
Geographic Latitude (deg) |
Geographic Longitude (deg) |
Middle latitude |
Pruhonice |
PQ052 (DPS-4D) |
49.32° N |
98.61° E |
50° N |
14.6° E |
Sopron |
SO148 (VISRC-2) |
46.67° N |
99.75° E |
47.63° N |
16.72° E |
Low mid-latitude |
Rome |
RO041 (DPS-4) & RM041 (AIS-INGV) |
41.7° N |
93.76° E |
41.8° N |
12.5° E |
Table 2.
Information about the two examined storms.
Table 2.
Information about the two examined storms.
ICME-related |
Reference interval, Q-days (average of these 3 days will be the reference value) |
SIR/CIR-related |
Reference interval, Q-days (average of these 3 days will be the reference value) |
SSC date |
Main phase |
Studied interval |
SSC date |
Main phase |
Studied interval |
17.03. 04:45 UT |
17.03.2015 (Kpmax=7,67, Dstmin=-223 nT) |
16.03-20.03.2015 |
10, 13, 14 March 2015 |
05.31. 16:17 UT |
01.06.2013 (Kpmax=7.00, Dstmin=-124 nT) |
30.05-04.06.2013 |
16,17, 26 June 2013 |