Ionospheric Plasma Drift and Structure Studies at High and Mid- Latitudes. Volume 1

• Main Authors: Reinisch, Bodo W., Scali, James L., Dozois, Claude, Crowley, Geoffrey
• Other Authors: MASSACHUSETTS UNIV LOWELL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1993
• Subjects: Atmospheric Physics; *IONOSPHERE; *ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDING; VELOCITY; MAGNETIC FIELDS; COMPUTERS; METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITES; RADIOSONDES; F REGION; POLAR CAP; CONVECTION(ATMOSPHERIC); TROUGHS; GREENLAND; LATITUDE; RADIO WAVES; HIGH LATITUDES; GEOPHYSICS; DRIFT; PLASMAS(PHYSICS); REAL TIME; COMPUTER PROGRAMS; IMF(INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELD); DIGISONDE; POLAR HOLE; DMSP(DEFENSE METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE PROGRAM); PE62101F; WUPL464308AU; SBI1; FISCAL YEAR 94; QUAANAAQ(GREENLAND); SONDESTROM(GREENLAND); AN/FMQ-12; Argentina; Greenland
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA279415; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA279415

Ground-based observations of the high latitude ionosphere with Digisonde sounders at Quaanaaq, Sondrestrom, Goose Bay, Argentina and Millstone Hill provide a description of the patch structure and the convection pattern in the polar cap. Correlation analysis of observed F-region plasma drifts with the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (measured by IMP8) lead to a new technique of deducing the signs of Bz and By from the measured drifts. Real time calculation of the plasma drift was successfully introduced at one of the Digisonde stations (Sondrestrom) providing the possibility of determining the IMF components in real time. Analysis of mid-latitude trough observation shows large westward velocities in the trough region. Digisonde data from Quaanaaq and DMSP F8 and F9 satellite data showed the development of the ionospheric polar hole. See also Volume 2, ADB184403.