Three-dimensional electron density along the WSA and MSNA latitudes probed by FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC

Abstract

In this paper, we employ electron density profiles derived by the GPS radio occultation experiment aboard the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) satellites to examine the electron density on geographic latitudes of 40° to 80° in the Southern hemisphere and 30° to 60° in the Northern hemisphere at various global fixed local times from February 2009 to January 2010. The results reveal that an eastward shift of a single-peak plasma density feature occurs along the Weddell Sea Anomaly (WSA) latitudes, while a double-peak plasma density feature appears along the northern Mid-latitude Summer Nighttime Anomaly (MSNA) latitudes. A cross-comparison between three-dimensional F3/C electron density and HWM93 simulation confirms that the magnetic meridional effect and vertical effect caused by neutral winds exhibit the eastward shifts. Furthermore, we find that the eastward shift of the peaks when viewed as a function of local time suggests that they could be interpreted as being comprised of different tidal components with distinct zonal phase velocities in local time.