The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm: A Synoptic View

David R. Themens; Sean Elvidge; Anthony McCaffrey; P. T. Jayachandran; Anthea Coster; Roger H. Varney; Ivan Galkin; Lindsay V. Goodwin; Chris Watson; Sophie Maguire; Andrew J. Kavanagh; Shun Rong Zhang; Larisa Goncharenko; Asti Bhatt; Gareth Dorrian; Keith Groves; Alan G. Wood; Ben Reid

doi:10.1029/2024GL111677

The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm: A Synoptic View

David R. Themens, Sean Elvidge, Anthony McCaffrey, P. T. Jayachandran, Anthea Coster, Roger H. Varney, Ivan Galkin, Lindsay V. Goodwin, Chris Watson, Sophie Maguire, Andrew J. Kavanagh, Shun Rong Zhang, Larisa Goncharenko, Asti Bhatt, Gareth Dorrian, Keith Groves, Alan G. Wood, Ben Reid

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

The high latitude ionospheric evolution of the May 10-11, 2024, geomagnetic storm is investigated in terms of Total Electron Content and contextualized with Incoherent Scatter Radar and ionosonde observations. Substantial plasma lifting is observed within the initial Storm Enhanced Density plume with ionospheric peak heights increasing by 150–300 km, reaching levels of up to 630 km. Scintillation is observed within the cusp during the initial expansion phase of the storm, spreading across the auroral oval thereafter. Patch transport into the polar cap produces broad regions of scintillation that are rapidly cleared from the region after a strong Interplanetary Magnetic Field reversal at 2230UT. Strong heating and composition changes result in the complete absence of the F2-layer on the eleventh, suffocating high latitude convection from dense plasma necessary for Tongue of Ionization and patch formation, ultimately resulting in a suppression of polar cap scintillation on the eleventh.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e2024GL111677
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	51
Issue number	19
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111677
State	Published - Oct 16 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Keywords

GNSS
high latitudes
ionosphere
May 2024 geomagnetic storm
polar cap
superstorm

Access to Document

10.1029/2024GL111677

Cite this

Themens, D. R., Elvidge, S., McCaffrey, A., Jayachandran, P. T., Coster, A., Varney, R. H., Galkin, I., Goodwin, L. V., Watson, C., Maguire, S., Kavanagh, A. J., Zhang, S. R., Goncharenko, L., Bhatt, A., Dorrian, G., Groves, K., Wood, A. G., & Reid, B. (2024). The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm: A Synoptic View. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(19), Article e2024GL111677. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111677

@article{c1ade7942ed049b0a7b2c931bada6712,

title = "The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm: A Synoptic View",

abstract = "The high latitude ionospheric evolution of the May 10-11, 2024, geomagnetic storm is investigated in terms of Total Electron Content and contextualized with Incoherent Scatter Radar and ionosonde observations. Substantial plasma lifting is observed within the initial Storm Enhanced Density plume with ionospheric peak heights increasing by 150–300 km, reaching levels of up to 630 km. Scintillation is observed within the cusp during the initial expansion phase of the storm, spreading across the auroral oval thereafter. Patch transport into the polar cap produces broad regions of scintillation that are rapidly cleared from the region after a strong Interplanetary Magnetic Field reversal at 2230UT. Strong heating and composition changes result in the complete absence of the F2-layer on the eleventh, suffocating high latitude convection from dense plasma necessary for Tongue of Ionization and patch formation, ultimately resulting in a suppression of polar cap scintillation on the eleventh.",

keywords = "GNSS, high latitudes, ionosphere, May 2024 geomagnetic storm, polar cap, superstorm",

author = "Themens, {David R.} and Sean Elvidge and Anthony McCaffrey and Jayachandran, {P. T.} and Anthea Coster and Varney, {Roger H.} and Ivan Galkin and Goodwin, {Lindsay V.} and Chris Watson and Sophie Maguire and Kavanagh, {Andrew J.} and Zhang, {Shun Rong} and Larisa Goncharenko and Asti Bhatt and Gareth Dorrian and Keith Groves and Wood, {Alan G.} and Ben Reid",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024. The Author(s).",

year = "2024",

month = oct,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1029/2024GL111677",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "51",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Inc.",

number = "19",

}

Themens, DR, Elvidge, S, McCaffrey, A, Jayachandran, PT, Coster, A, Varney, RH, Galkin, I, Goodwin, LV, Watson, C, Maguire, S, Kavanagh, AJ, Zhang, SR, Goncharenko, L, Bhatt, A, Dorrian, G, Groves, K, Wood, AG & Reid, B 2024, 'The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm: A Synoptic View', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 51, no. 19, e2024GL111677. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111677

TY - JOUR

T1 - The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm

T2 - A Synoptic View

AU - Themens, David R.

AU - Elvidge, Sean

AU - McCaffrey, Anthony

AU - Jayachandran, P. T.

AU - Coster, Anthea

AU - Varney, Roger H.

AU - Galkin, Ivan

AU - Goodwin, Lindsay V.

AU - Watson, Chris

AU - Maguire, Sophie

AU - Kavanagh, Andrew J.

AU - Zhang, Shun Rong

AU - Goncharenko, Larisa

AU - Bhatt, Asti

AU - Dorrian, Gareth

AU - Groves, Keith

AU - Wood, Alan G.

AU - Reid, Ben

PY - 2024/10/16

Y1 - 2024/10/16

N2 - The high latitude ionospheric evolution of the May 10-11, 2024, geomagnetic storm is investigated in terms of Total Electron Content and contextualized with Incoherent Scatter Radar and ionosonde observations. Substantial plasma lifting is observed within the initial Storm Enhanced Density plume with ionospheric peak heights increasing by 150–300 km, reaching levels of up to 630 km. Scintillation is observed within the cusp during the initial expansion phase of the storm, spreading across the auroral oval thereafter. Patch transport into the polar cap produces broad regions of scintillation that are rapidly cleared from the region after a strong Interplanetary Magnetic Field reversal at 2230UT. Strong heating and composition changes result in the complete absence of the F2-layer on the eleventh, suffocating high latitude convection from dense plasma necessary for Tongue of Ionization and patch formation, ultimately resulting in a suppression of polar cap scintillation on the eleventh.

AB - The high latitude ionospheric evolution of the May 10-11, 2024, geomagnetic storm is investigated in terms of Total Electron Content and contextualized with Incoherent Scatter Radar and ionosonde observations. Substantial plasma lifting is observed within the initial Storm Enhanced Density plume with ionospheric peak heights increasing by 150–300 km, reaching levels of up to 630 km. Scintillation is observed within the cusp during the initial expansion phase of the storm, spreading across the auroral oval thereafter. Patch transport into the polar cap produces broad regions of scintillation that are rapidly cleared from the region after a strong Interplanetary Magnetic Field reversal at 2230UT. Strong heating and composition changes result in the complete absence of the F2-layer on the eleventh, suffocating high latitude convection from dense plasma necessary for Tongue of Ionization and patch formation, ultimately resulting in a suppression of polar cap scintillation on the eleventh.

KW - GNSS

KW - high latitudes

KW - ionosphere

KW - May 2024 geomagnetic storm

KW - polar cap

KW - superstorm

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205319311&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85205319311&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1029/2024GL111677

DO - 10.1029/2024GL111677

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85205319311

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 51

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 19

M1 - e2024GL111677

ER -

The High Latitude Ionospheric Response to the Major May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm: A Synoptic View

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this