November 2003 event: effects on the Earth's ionosphere observed from ground-based ionosonde and GPS data

E. Blanch (1) , D. Altadill (1) , J. Bo?ka (2) , D. Bure?ová (2) , M. Hernández-Pajares (3)

1 OE - Observatori de l'Ebre
2 IAP - Institute of Atmospheric Physics [Prague]
3 UPC - Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya = Université polytechnique de Catalogne [Barcelona]

Intense late-cycle solar activity during October and November 2003 produced two strong geomagnetic storms: 28 October-5 November 2003 (October) and 19-23 November 2003 (November); both reached intense geomagnetic activity levels, K_p=9, and K_p=8+, respectively. The October 2003 geomagnetic storm was stronger, but the effects on the Earth's ionosphere in the mid-latitude European sector were more important during the November 2003 storm. The aim of this paper is to discuss two significant effects observed on the ionosphere over the mid-latitude European sector produced by the November 2003 geomagnetic storm, using data from ground ionosonde at Chilton (51.5° N; 359.4° E), Pruhonice (50.0° N; 14.6° E) and El Arenosillo (37.1° N; 353.3° E), jointly with GPS data. These effects are the presence of well developed anomalous storm E_s layers observed at latitudes as low as 37° N and the presence of two thin belts: one having enhanced electron content and other, depressed electron content. Both reside over the mid-latitude European evening sector.

Domaines: Océan, Atmosphère; Sciences de la Terre

E. Blanch, D. Altadill, J. Bo?ka, D. Bure?ová, M. Hernández-Pajares. November 2003 event: effects on the Earth's ionosphere observed from ground-based ionosonde and GPS data. Annales Geophysicae, 2005, 23 (9), pp.3027-3034. ⟨hal-00317985⟩