Observations of neutral winds in the polar cap during northward IMF

• Published in: Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics
• Main Authors: Niciejewski, R. J., Killeen, Timothy L., Won, Y.
• Other Authors: pace Physics Research Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 1994
• Subjects: Physics; Atmospheric; Oceanic and Space Sciences; Science; Greenland; Thule Air Base; Geomagnetic Pole; Sondre Stromfjord; Thule Air; Thule
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/31815; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VSV-4893NYW-34/2/c289fe670fe91ba73e318c295cb3b1dd; https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9169(94)90036-1

Long term remote observations of neutral winds at F-region altitudes have been performed at Thule Air Base (lat. 76.5[deg]N, long. 69.0[deg]W), Greenland, and Sondre Stromfjord (lat. 67.0[deg]N, long. 50.9[deg]W), Greenland. The former site is very close to the geomagnetic pole, while the latter site is within the polar cap for several hours each night on either side of geomagnetic midnight. Wind data corresponding to clear sky conditions and Kp [les] 4 were sorted according to the sign of the IMF Bz component. The averaged maximum poleward flow near midnight LST was reduced by approximately one third during Bz northward conditions. If the magnitude of By was less than the magnitude of the northward Bz component, then the averaged poleward flow was further reduced by one half. In addition, if Bz > 5 nT, then sunward directed horizontal neutral winds were observed at the very highest latitudes near noon LST. Peer Reviewed http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31815/1/0000761.pdf