Articles | Volume 31, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-31-377-2013
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-31-377-2013
Regular paper
 | 
28 Feb 2013
Regular paper |  | 28 Feb 2013

Observations of poleward-propagating large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances in southern China

F. Ding, W. Wan, B. Ning, B. Zhao, Q. Li, Y. Wang, L. Hu, R. Zhang, and B. Xiong

Abstract. We report here on two cases of poleward-propagating large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) in China during a medium-scale storm between 27 May and 1 June 2011. The observations were conducted by making use of the Global Positioning System network and ionosondes in China and Southeast Asia. One northeastward-propagating LSTID occurred on the morning of 30 May, while the other was observed during the nighttime of 1 June. Both poleward-traveling LSTIDs occurred during the storm's recovery phase in southern China's low-latitude region (geomagnetic latitude ~ 7.3–24° N) and experienced severe dissipation during their propagation from south to north. Although the initial relative amplitude of the nighttime LSTID was ~ 60% larger than that of the morning event, the nighttime event dissipated more quickly than the morning event because of a strong nighttime enhancement in background total electronic content (TEC) during storm time, which led to strong ion-drag dissipation during the evening. The poleward-propagating LSTIDs exhibit a narrower latitudinal range, a smaller amplitude, and a slightly higher elevation compared with the equatorward-moving LSTIDs observed in the same region. Given these features, the poleward-propagating LSTIDs were likely excited by some local source near southern China. Excitation of secondary LSTIDs during the dissipation of some primary medium-scale disturbances from the lower atmosphere is a possible mechanism.

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