ATMOP

Definition of new geomagnetic activity

proxies and their use in
thermosphere density modeling
in the framework of the ATMOP project

Farida El-Lemdani Mazouz, Michel Menvielle, Chantal Lathuillère,

Aurélie Marchaudon, Aude Chambodut, and Sean Bruinsma

farida.mazouz@latmos.ipsl.fr
 OUTLINE

1. Introduction

2. Definition of new geomagnetic proxies

2.1The m indices
2.2 The MLT sectorial indices

3. Tests of the geomagnetic indices to use in the DTM model

4. Statistical study

5. Summary

EGU 2013-session ST5.1 2

Introduction Geomagnetic index: proxy monitoring a magnetic signature
at the Earth’s surface of the magnetosphere activity

AE network
Dst network
+ Kp network
J//-Region1
J//-Region2 am network
Cross-Tail Current Sheet

Thermosphere forcing by
geomagnetic activity

am indices:
 weighted average of the activity (K indices)
observed at the am network observatories
 proxy of the energy state of the
magnetosphere during a three hour interval
 1959 to present
 possibility of sector indices derivation

EGU 2013-session ST5.1 3

2. 1 New geomagnetic indices :better time resolution

Magnetic energy density

Unit: nT

Range during
3-hour intervals:
am, Kp (ap) Modulus averaged over a time span
of duration t at station Si

Intensity of the magnetic

variations:
t
  
AE, Dst, SYM-H

 
12
(Si,t)  2 2
Bx Si,t By Si,t dt
t

- The m indices can be computed for any time interval higher than 15 minutes

- The m indices are today available from 2001-2006

EGU 2013-session ST5.1 4
2.2 New geomagnetic indices: better spatial resolution

21-3
3-9 3-9
9-15 9-15
15-21 15-21
21-3
latitude

longitude

MLT sectors: fixed with respect to the Sun

am and m15 indices are computed in an MLT version

Different responses on the MLT sectors

a-noon<a-midnight
a-noon decays first EGU 2013-session ST5.1 5
Use of geomagnetic indices for thermosphere modeling
- Determine the “best” geomagnetic index
for thermosphere modeling model (DTM)

-Analyze mean GRACE and CHAMP --Yearly analysis study CHAMP and GRACE
accelometer data for 2001-2006: --Storm analysis study : 28 observed by CHAMP
18 observed by GRACE

 Data processing
- Projection of the data on a
geomagnetic coordinate
frame and at a reference altitude

-Filtering and binnig the data

every 10° geomagnetic latitude
- Use of DTM quiet model as a baseline
daytime and night time orbit are
considered separately
 Correlation analysis between density perturbations
and geomagnetic indices EGU 2013-session ST5.1 6
 How to associate geomagnetic activity to the density time series
resolution?
- Interpolation of am and Dst t=90mn

- Interpolation of tabulated m180

- Reconstruction of m180 using tabulated m15 values

t-1.5h t t+1.5h
t-3h

Use of m180 in quasi real time

Reconstructed m180 values

better represent the dynamic of the storm

EGU 2013-session ST5.1 7

Statistical study(1): Correlation analysis

Spearman’s / Kendall rank

correlation:

Time delay Time delay

 Determination of the maximum of correlation and the associated time delay

- Correlation are about the same order

between m indices and s -MLT

correlation
- Correlation are about the same order
between am and as -MLT
- Correlation are most of the time smaller
with the Dst index correlation

- Small variation of the correlation as a

function of year and latitude
latitude
EGU 2013-session ST5.1 8
Statistical study(2): storm delay analysis

- More delay values equal to zero in the noon sector than in the midnight sector

- More delay values equal to zero at high latitudes than at equatorial latitudes

- Decreasing of the delay when the geomagnetic activity increase

EGU 2013-session ST5.1 9
Statistical study(3): delay variation as a function of the year
A solar flux effect?

 Smaller delays in mid-latitudes than in equatorial latitudes in the noon sector

 Increasing of the time delay between 2002-2006

Possibly related to the solar flux variation

EGU 2013-session ST5.1 10

 Summary

-New geomagnetic indices are defined in order to achieve a better spatial

and temporal resolution

-The m15 indices can be used quasi in real time to characterize

the geomagnetic activity

- For the non interpolated indices : the m180 present the higher correlations

- A day night difference has to be taken into account for the delays in mid
and high latitudes

-The delays tend to be smaller for higher geomagnetic activity levels

-The delays tend to be smaller for higher solar activity

EGU 2013-session ST5.1 11

Thank you for your attention
Digital data availability
1993 1993 ? 2004
1998
?
?

1993 1993

1993
1994
2000
2003 1994
1991
1993

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