Annales Geophysicae
Annales Geophysicae
ANGEO
Articles | Volume 21, issue 7
Articles | Volume 21, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-21-1577-2003
© Author(s) 2003. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-21-1577-2003
© Author(s) 2003. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Articles | Volume 21, issue 7
31 Jul 2003
 | 31 Jul 2003

Six-day westward propagating wave in the maximum electron density of the ionosphere

D. Altadill, E. M. Apostolov, Ch. Jacobi, and N. J. Mitchell

Abstract. Analyses of time-spatial variations of critical plasma frequency foF2 during the summer of 1998 reveal the existence of an oscillation activity with attributes of a 6-day westward propagating wave. This event manifests itself as a global scale wave in the foF2 of the Northern Hemisphere, having a zonal wave number 2. This event coincides with a 6-day oscillation activity in the meridional neutral winds of the mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT). The oscillation in neutral winds seems to be linked to the 6–7-day global scale unstable mode westward propagating wave number 1 in the MLT. The forcing mechanisms of the 6-day wave event in the ionosphere from the wave activity in the MLT are discussed.

Key words. Ionosphere (Ionosphere-Atmosphere interactions; Mid-latitude Ionosphere) – Meterology and atmospheric dynamics (waves and tides)

How to cite. Altadill, D., Apostolov, E. M., Jacobi, Ch., and Mitchell, N. J.: Six-day westward propagating wave in the maximum electron density of the ionosphere, Ann. Geophys., 21, 1577–1588, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-21-1577-2003, 2003.