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GOLD Mission’s Observation about the Geomagnetic Storm Effects on the Nighttime Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPB) During a Solar Minimum Equinox
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  • Deepak Kumar Karan,
  • Richard W Eastes,
  • Robert Edward Daniell,
  • Carlos Martinis,
  • William E. McClintock
Deepak Kumar Karan
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Richard W Eastes
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
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Robert Edward Daniell
Ionospheric Physics Consulting
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Carlos Martinis
Boston University
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William E. McClintock
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
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Abstract

The nighttime ionospheric response to a geomagnetic storm occurred on 23-29 September 2020 is investigated over the South American, Atlantic, and West African longitude sectors using NASA’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) measurements. On 27 September the solar wind conditions were favorable for prompt penetration electric fields (PPEF) to influence the equatorial ionosphere over extended longitudes. The equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crests were shifted 8o-10o poleward compared to the quiet time monthly mean across ~65o- 35oW during the main phase. Ionosonde hmF2 (peak electron density height) measurements from Fortaleza (GG: -3.9oN and -38.4oW) indicated a stronger prereversal enhancement this evening than other nights. As a result, Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPB) occurred at these longitudes on this evening. This is the first simultaneous investigation of EIA morphology and EPB occurrence rate over an extended longitude range from geostationary orbit during a geomagnetic storm.