May 2024 severe geomagnetic storm suppressed mid-latitude ionospheric E-region formation mechanism

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https://www.authorea.com/users/850238/articles/1323235-may-2024-severe-geomagnetic-storm-suppressed-mid-latitude-ionospheric-e-region-formation-mechanism

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https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.175492900.02407681/v1
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/40107

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UMBC Faculty Collection
UMBC GESTAR II

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3996-8700

Date

2025-08-11

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journal articles
preprints
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This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
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Abstract

The Ionospheric E-region is primarily formed during the day through the photoionization of molecular oxygen and molecular nitrogen. During the severe geomagnetic storm on May 2024, this paper reports that, over the mid-latitudes, this formation mechanism was significantly disrupted causing large-scale suppression of day-time E-region electron density (Ne). Merging radio occultation (RO) data from the COSMIC-2 mission, the Spire RO mission and the FengYun-3 satellites showed a 30% reduction in day-time E-region Ne over mid-latitudes. The Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics – General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM) simulates this reduction albeit at a weaker magnitude. Model diagnostics show that the geomagnetic storm generated a lower thermospheric circulation that pushed air with low molecular oxygen density down into the E-region which lowered the production of Ne thereby reducing day-time Ne values. This suggests that a severe geomagnetic storm can suppress an important E-region formation mechanism.