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Hemispheric effects on ionospheric responses in the African sector

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Abstract

We studied the responses of the ionosphere over the southern and northern African sector. A RINEX formatted TEC data obtained from the global positioning system (GPS) was used to study the impact of geomagnetic storms of 23rd June and 20th December on a South African station, SUTM (33.97°N, 6.84°W) and a Moroccan station, RABT (32.41°S, 38.75°E). The storms which occurred in summer and winter (solstice months) were quantified using the Dst data from World Data Center, Kyoto, Japan. The results showed obvious hemispheric and seasonal influences on ionospheric responses to the geomagnetic storms. The substorm-time responses of the ionosphere were always positive across the stations and seasons. This is a result of increased particle and energy depositions occasioned by the proton density (PD). The rates of energy and particles intensifications during substorms were higher in the summer storm event than in winter for both stations. In other words, there was no hemispheric asymmetry observed. In addition to the storm onset time, its peak time and hemispheric location are crucial in storm-time ionospheric responses. Local timing of the orientations of the prompt penetration and disturbance dynamo electric fields during northward interplanetary magnetic fields determined the nature of ionospheric responses in the day and night sides. These results contribute to our understanding of the dynamics and complexities of the ionosphere over African mid latitude ionosphere.

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Data Availability

The data used were freely obtained as follows:

(1) The Dst index data was sourced from the World Data Center, Kyoto, Japan, http://wdc.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dst_provisional/index.html.

(2) While the RINEX formatted TEC data was obtained from ftp://cddis.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/gps/products/TEC.

(3) The solar wind plasma speed Vsw, plasma pressure, the IMF \(\mathrm{B}_{\mathrm{z}}\), and proton density were provided by the ACE satellite https://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

Code Availability

Nil

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science Laboratory Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

    Dominic Chukwuebuka Obiegbuna, Chukwunonso Ugochukwu Enwelum & Jude Chukwuebuka Ugwu

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

    Dominic Chukwuebuka Obiegbuna, Chukwunonso Ugochukwu Enwelum, Jude Chukwuebuka Ugwu & Orji Prince Orji

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  1. Dominic Chukwuebuka Obiegbuna
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Obiegbuna designed the research Enwelum reviewed literature Ugwu sourced data Orji and Obiegbuna analyzed and discussed the results.

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Obiegbuna, D.C., Enwelum, C.U., Ugwu, J.C. et al. Hemispheric effects on ionospheric responses in the African sector. Astrophys Space Sci 368, 39 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-023-04194-2

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