Dependence on Latitude of Atmospheric Heating during Geomagnetic Storms

Abstract

COLE¹ constructed two models of Joule heating of the upper atmosphere which yielded increases in temperature of the order of 1,000° K in the auroral zone during geomagnetic storms. Cole's theoretical predictions have been confirmed by Jacchia and Slowey² from the orbital acceleration of Injun III, even as to the approximate size of the predicted effect. However, neither of these investigations provides a detailed resolution of the latitude dependence. Therefore, a simple model is presented here which has been developed at intervals during the past year and a half, independently of the work of Cole and of Jacchia and Slowey, and which gives the detailed dependence of the temperature increase on geomagnetic latitude.