Ionospheric absorption at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica during magnetic storms in early May, 1998

In the paper the high latitude ionospheric absorption events, monitored by an imaging riometer at Zhongshan Station, Antarctica, are examined during magnetic storms in early May, 1998. The storm absorption at ~0639 UT on May 2 was mainly an equatorward progressing absorption event, which were associated with a strong negative bay of the magnetic H component and with a large Pc3 range pulsation. There was a time lag of about 1. 5 hours between the onset of the ionospheric disturbance and the IMF southward turning in the solar wind. The event at 2222 UT on May 2 was a typical midnight absorption spike event. The absorption region took the form of an elongated strip with the length of 100 - 150 km and the width of 30 - 40 km. The absorption during 0830 - 1200 UT on May 6 was a polar cap absorption (PCA) event,caused by intense precipitation of high-energy protons erupted after a large solar flare explosion.

Post-noon ionospheric absorption observed by the imaging riometers at polar cusp/cap conjugate stations

An example of post-noon ionospheric absorption observed by the imaging riometers at Ny-Alesund / Danmarkshavn in the arctic region and Zhongshan Station in Antarctic is presented. The post-noon absorption observed simultaneously between the hemispherical stations was a spike-type with weak intensity (<1 dB) during the high solar wind dynamic pressure. The absorption spikes might be caused by precipitation of highrenergy electrons (30 - 300 keV) in the closed dayside magnetosphere. It should be noted that the precipitation region of the absorption spike associated with the steep pressure increase (~ 13 nPa) was localized and shifted equatorward.

Ionospheric absorption and planetary wave activity in East Asia sector

In this paper, we focus on ionospheric absorption in the East Asia sector, and look for manifestations of atmospheric influences in this area. First, a 4-year historical record of absorption measurement at Beijing is presented. This record was obtained by a sweep frequency technique, in which 27-days periodic variation of the absorption level was found to be dominant, appearing in most seasons except winters. Instead, unusual enhancements of the absorption level appeared in winters (winter anomaly), at the meantime the level varied with periods mainly in the range of 8-12 days. Comparing to 27-days period from the Sun, the shorter period oscillations should be related to planetary wave activities in lower atmosphere. Second, fmin data from 5 mid-latitude ionosondes in Japan were used as an indirect but long-term measurement. With the fmin data covering two solar cycles, disturbances with various periods were found to be active around solar maximum years, but the 8-12 days oscillations always existed in winter, showing seasonal dependence instead of connection to solar activity. These results given in this paper demonstrate seasonal and solar cycle-dependent features of the ionospheric absorption in East Asia sector, and confirm the existence of influence from atmosphere-ionosphere coupling in this area, as well as the relationship between ionospheric winter anomaly and planetary wave activity.