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Regulation of ionospheric plasma velocities by thermospheric winds

Nature Geoscience volume 14, pages 893–898 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Earth’s equatorial ionosphere exhibits substantial and unpredictable day-to-day variations in density and morphology. This presents challenges in preparing for adverse impacts on geopositioning systems and radio communications even 24 hours in advance. The variability is now theoretically understood as a manifestation of thermospheric weather, where winds in the upper atmosphere respond strongly to a spectrum of atmospheric waves that propagate into space from the lower and middle atmosphere. First-principles simulations predict related, large changes in the ionosphere, primarily through modification of wind-driven electromotive forces: the wind-driven dynamo. Here we show the first direct evidence of the action of a wind dynamo in space, using the coordinated, space-based observations of winds and plasma motion made by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ionospheric Connection Explorer. A clear relationship is found between vertical plasma velocities measured at the magnetic equator near 600 km and the thermospheric winds much farther below. Significant correlations are found between the plasma and wind velocities during several successive precession cycles of the Ionospheric Connection Explorer’s orbit. Prediction of thermospheric winds in the 100–150 km altitude range emerges as the key to improved prediction of Earth’s plasma environment.

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Fig. 1: ICON’s unique orbit and observational geometry support simultaneous observation of lower thermospheric winds and ionospheric plasma velocities.
Fig. 2: Predicted and observed meridional drifts in three successive measurement periods in early 2020.
Fig. 3: Each of the four terms in the vpred drift calculation.
Fig. 4: Key properties of the equatorial ionosphere and apex coordinate system.

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Data availability

Data collected by the Ionospheric Connection Explorer are available at https://icon.ssl.berkeley.edu/Data and are archived at the NASA Space Physics Data Facility at https://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the ICON engineering and operations teams for their outstanding performance during regional wildfires, power outages and a global pandemic to launch ICON and collect its data. ICON data are processed in the ICON data centre at UC Berkeley and available through its website (https://icon.ssl.berkeley.edu) and at the NASA Space Physics Data Facility (https://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/). No proprietary codes or algorithms were used to analyse the data used for this report. A.M. is supported by NASA grant NNX14AP03G. All other authors’ efforts are supported by NASA’s Explorers Program through contracts NNG12FA45C and NNG12FA42I.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Thomas J. Immel, Brian J. Harding.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Thomas J. Immel, Brian J. Harding & Stephen B. Mende

  2. High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA

    Roderick A. Heelis & Russell A. Stoneback

  3. William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA

    Astrid Maute

  4. Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    Jeffrey M. Forbes

  5. Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Scott L. England

  6. Space Science Division, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, USA

    Christoph R. Englert & Kenneth Marr

  7. Space Systems Research Corporation, Alexandria, VA, USA

    John M. Harlander

  8. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA

    Jonathan J. Makela

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Contributions

T.J.I. and B.J.H. contributed equally to the writing of this manuscript. T.J.I., B.J.H., R.A.H., A.M., J.M.F., S.B.M. and S.L.E. developed the Methods section. B.J.H. performed the data analysis and created Figs. 1–3. S.B.M. and T.J.I. created Fig. 4. R.A.H., C.R.E., R.A.S., K.M., J.M.H., J.J.M. and B.J.H. were responsible for the data products.

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Correspondence to Thomas J. Immel.

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Peer review information Nature Geoscience thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editors: Tom Richardson, Kyle Frischkorn.

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Immel, T.J., Harding, B.J., Heelis, R.A. et al. Regulation of ionospheric plasma velocities by thermospheric winds. Nat. Geosci. 14, 893–898 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00848-4

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