On the Response of the Mid-latitude Ionosphere to the Severe Geomagnetic Storm of March 17-18, 2015

Authors

  • Efiong A. Ibanga

    National Open University of Nigeria, Nigeria
    Author
  • Godwin A. Agbo

    Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
    Author

Keywords:

geomagnetic storm, positive storm, negative phase, pre-storm enhancement, ionospheric storm, drift of ionospheric plasma, Uplift of F2-region virtual height

Abstract

Efiong A.  Ibanga* and Godwin A. Agbo

The response of the ionosphere to heliophysical, interplanetary and geophysical structures during the severe geomagnetic storm (Dst=-223 nT) of March 17-18, 2015 has been investigated. Deviations of ordinary wave critical frequencies from the reference values based on four international geomagnetically quiet days preceding the storm (δfoF2) and F2 layer maximum electron density (NmF2) were calculated using manually scaled foF2 records from a chain of stations in Japan of the mid-latitude Asian sector. Results show that the pre-storm and main phases of the geomagnetic storm were accompanied by a positive ionospheric storm typified by enhancement while the recovery phase was accompanied by a negative storm marked by the depletion of NmF2. Also, foF2 values showed, on average, greater than 20% positive deviation from foF2 during the pre-storm and main phase, and also negative deviations in the recovery phase. Significant enhancement of NmF2 which occurred at least twenty-four hours ahead of the storm onset was observed in all the stations and tends to lend credence to the veracity of the contentious pre-storm NmF2 enhancement phenomenon. The study also shows that the F-region virtual height was significantly raised during the main phase of the geomagnetic storm.

Author Biographies

  • Efiong A. Ibanga, National Open University of Nigeria, Nigeria

    Department of Physics

  • Godwin A. Agbo, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria

    Department of Industrial Physics

Published

2021-12-29

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