Correlation Study of Auroral Currents with External Parameters During 10–12 October 2024 Superstorm

This study investigated the correlations between field-aligned currents (FACs), polar electrojets (PEJs), and external solar and geomagnetic activity parameters during the intense geomagnetic storm that occurred from 10 to 12 October 2024. Notably, the merging electric field (Em) had a greater impac...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaotong Xia, Xue Hu, Hui Wang, Kedeng Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Remote Sensing
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/3/394
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Summary:This study investigated the correlations between field-aligned currents (FACs), polar electrojets (PEJs), and external solar and geomagnetic activity parameters during the intense geomagnetic storm that occurred from 10 to 12 October 2024. Notably, the merging electric field (Em) had a greater impact on FACs and PEJs compared to the May 2024 storm, while the influence of solar wind pressure (Pd) was equally important in both storms. The peak FAC densities in the northern dawn (southern dusk) and nighttime sectors correlate strongly with Em, whereas Pd dominates in the northern dusk (southern dawn) and daytime sectors. For PEJs, Em correlates strongly with current densities in the northern dawn–dusk and southern nighttime sectors, while Pd is the primary correlated parameter on the dayside. FAC (PEJ) latitudes are most strongly influenced by Em (Pd or Dst) on the dawnside–duskside. Additionally, FACs and PEJs are mostly more intense on the dawnside than on the duskside and extend to lower latitudes at dusk than at dawn. Analysis of the May and October 2024 storms reveals that FACs in the summer hemisphere are generally stronger and situated at more poleward latitudes than those in the winter hemisphere. This pattern is largely driven by summer–winter variations in ionospheric conductivity, with some differences also arising from the asymmetric magnetic field geometry between the two hemispheres.
ISSN:2072-4292