Some effects in the upper atmosphere during geomagnetic storms

Abstract

This paper examines the response of the high latitude ionosphere- thermosphere system during two intense geomagnetic storms. For that, data taken by instruments on board Dynamic Explorer 2 taken at heights of the F2-layer are used. These results represent a comparison of simultaneous measurements of storm disturbances in gas composition, electron density and temperature in common local time sectors. Documented are an increase in electron temperature and a decrease in electron density; increases both in electron temperature and electron density; and the correlation between electron density decreases and increases in the ratio N2/O. It is noticed that the decrease in electron density is sometimes due to an increase in the molecular nitrogen density N2 and not always is attributed both to the increase in N2 density and the simultaneous decrease in the atomic oxygen density.