Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICON
Introduction: The vertical coupling of the lower and upper atmosphere via atmospheric solar tides is very variable and affects the thermosphere and ionosphere system. In this study, we use Ionospheric Connection (ICON) explorer data from 220–270 Day Of Year (DOY), 2020 when large changes in the migr...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1147571/full |
| _version_ | 1797866017284685824 |
|---|---|
| author | Astrid Maute Jeffrey M. Forbes Chihoko Y. Cullens Thomas J. Immel |
| author_facet | Astrid Maute Jeffrey M. Forbes Chihoko Y. Cullens Thomas J. Immel |
| author_sort | Astrid Maute |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The vertical coupling of the lower and upper atmosphere via atmospheric solar tides is very variable and affects the thermosphere and ionosphere system. In this study, we use Ionospheric Connection (ICON) explorer data from 220–270 Day Of Year (DOY), 2020 when large changes in the migrating semidiurnal tide (SW2) and the zonal and diurnal mean (ZM) zonal wind occur within 8 days.Method: We use the ICON Level4 product, the thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamics general circulation model (TIEGCM) driven by tides fitted to ICON observations via the Hough Mode Extension (HME) method. The effect of the upward propagating tides is isolated by examining the difference between two TIEGCM simulations with and without tidal HME forcing at the model lower boundary.Results: The simulations reveals that the solar SW2 changes its latitudinal structure at 250 after DOY 232 from two peaks at mid latitudes to one broad low latitude peak, while at 110 km the two-peak structure persists. The ZM zonal wind at 250 km undergoes a similar dramatic change. These SW2 changes are associated with the prevalence of antisymmetric HMEs after DOY 232. The migrating diurnal, terdiurnal and quaddiurnal tides at 250 km undergo similar variations as SW2. TW3 is strong in the thermosphere and most likely caused by non-linear tidal interaction between DW1 and SW2 above 130 km. Surprisingly, the solar in situ forcing of TW3 and SW2 in the upper thermosphere is not nearly as important as their upward propagating tidal component. Associated with the strong dynamical changes, the zonal and diurnal mean NmF2 decreases by approximately 15%–20%, which has a major contribution from the O/N2 decrease by roughly 10%. These changes are stronger than general seasonal behavior.Discussion: While studies have reported on the dynamical changes via SW2 in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region during the equinox transition period, this study is, to our knowledge, the first to examine the effects of rapid changes in SW2 on the upper thermosphere and ionosphere. The study highlights the potential of using ICON-TIEGCM for scientific studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:17:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3659598e314b42c3936e522051246d0b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-987X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:17:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-3659598e314b42c3936e522051246d0b2023-03-22T05:35:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2023-03-011010.3389/fspas.2023.11475711147571Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICONAstrid Maute0Jeffrey M. Forbes1Chihoko Y. Cullens2Thomas J. Immel3High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, United StatesAnn and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United StatesLaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder, CO, United StatesSpace Sciences Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley, CA, United StatesIntroduction: The vertical coupling of the lower and upper atmosphere via atmospheric solar tides is very variable and affects the thermosphere and ionosphere system. In this study, we use Ionospheric Connection (ICON) explorer data from 220–270 Day Of Year (DOY), 2020 when large changes in the migrating semidiurnal tide (SW2) and the zonal and diurnal mean (ZM) zonal wind occur within 8 days.Method: We use the ICON Level4 product, the thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamics general circulation model (TIEGCM) driven by tides fitted to ICON observations via the Hough Mode Extension (HME) method. The effect of the upward propagating tides is isolated by examining the difference between two TIEGCM simulations with and without tidal HME forcing at the model lower boundary.Results: The simulations reveals that the solar SW2 changes its latitudinal structure at 250 after DOY 232 from two peaks at mid latitudes to one broad low latitude peak, while at 110 km the two-peak structure persists. The ZM zonal wind at 250 km undergoes a similar dramatic change. These SW2 changes are associated with the prevalence of antisymmetric HMEs after DOY 232. The migrating diurnal, terdiurnal and quaddiurnal tides at 250 km undergo similar variations as SW2. TW3 is strong in the thermosphere and most likely caused by non-linear tidal interaction between DW1 and SW2 above 130 km. Surprisingly, the solar in situ forcing of TW3 and SW2 in the upper thermosphere is not nearly as important as their upward propagating tidal component. Associated with the strong dynamical changes, the zonal and diurnal mean NmF2 decreases by approximately 15%–20%, which has a major contribution from the O/N2 decrease by roughly 10%. These changes are stronger than general seasonal behavior.Discussion: While studies have reported on the dynamical changes via SW2 in the mesosphere-lower thermosphere (MLT) region during the equinox transition period, this study is, to our knowledge, the first to examine the effects of rapid changes in SW2 on the upper thermosphere and ionosphere. The study highlights the potential of using ICON-TIEGCM for scientific studies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1147571/fullmigrating solar tidestide-tide interactionhough modescompositionplasma distributionvertical coupling |
| spellingShingle | Astrid Maute Jeffrey M. Forbes Chihoko Y. Cullens Thomas J. Immel Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICON Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences migrating solar tides tide-tide interaction hough modes composition plasma distribution vertical coupling |
| title | Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICON |
| title_full | Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICON |
| title_fullStr | Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICON |
| title_full_unstemmed | Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICON |
| title_short | Delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the TIEGCM-ICON |
| title_sort | delineating the effect of upward propagating migrating solar tides with the tiegcm icon |
| topic | migrating solar tides tide-tide interaction hough modes composition plasma distribution vertical coupling |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2023.1147571/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT astridmaute delineatingtheeffectofupwardpropagatingmigratingsolartideswiththetiegcmicon AT jeffreymforbes delineatingtheeffectofupwardpropagatingmigratingsolartideswiththetiegcmicon AT chihokoycullens delineatingtheeffectofupwardpropagatingmigratingsolartideswiththetiegcmicon AT thomasjimmel delineatingtheeffectofupwardpropagatingmigratingsolartideswiththetiegcmicon |