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Precipitating auroral and radiation belt electrons are considered an important part of the natural forcing of the climate system. Recent studies suggest that this forcing is underestimated in current chemistry-climate models. The HEPPA III intercomparison experiment is a collective effort to address this point. Here, eight different estimates of medium energy electron (MEE) (urn:x-wiley:21699380:media:jgra56926:jgra56926-math-0001) ionization rates are assessed during a geomagnetic active period in April 2010. The objective is to understand the potential uncertainty related to the MEE energy input. The ionization rates are all based on the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) on board the NOAA/POES and EUMETSAT/MetOp spacecraft series. However, different data handling, ionization rate calculations, and background atmospheres result in a wide range of mesospheric electron ionization rates. Although the eight data sets agree well in terms of the temporal variability, they differ by about an order of magnitude in ionization rate strength both during geomagnetic quiet and disturbed periods. The largest spread is found in the aftermath of enhanced geomagnetic activity. Furthermore, governed by different energy limits, the atmospheric penetration depth varies, and some differences related to latitudinal coverage are also evident. The mesospheric NO densities simulated with the Whole Atmospheric Community Climate Model driven by highest and lowest ionization rates differ by more than a factor of eight. In a follow-up study, the atmospheric responses are simulated in four chemistry-climate models (CCM) and compared to satellite observations, considering both the CCM structure and the ionization forcing.

We analyzed ERA-40 and ERA Interim meteorological re-analysis data for signatures of geomagnetic activity in zonal mean zonal wind, temperature, and Eliassen-Palm flux in the Northern Hemisphere extended winter (November–March). We found that for high geomagnetic activity levels, the stratospheric polar vortex becomes stronger in late winter, with more planetary waves being refracted equatorward. The statistically significant signals first appear in December and continue until March, with poleward propagation of the signals with time, even though some uncertainty remains due to the limited amount of data available ( ∼ 50 years). Our results also indicated that the geomagnetic effect on planetary wave propagation has a tendency to take place when the stratosphere background flow is relatively stable or when the polar vortex is stronger and less disturbed in early winter. These conditions typically occur during high solar irradiance cycle conditions or westerly quasi-biennial oscillation conditions.

This paper shows that at solar maximum, equatorial ion densities at L = 2.5 are substantially higher at American longitudes in the December months than in the June months. This arises because the configuration of the geomagnetic field causes a longitude-dependent asymmetry in ionospheric solar illumination at conjugate points that is greatest at American longitudes. For example, at −60°E geographic longitude the L = 2.5 field line has its foot point near 65° geographic latitude in the Southern Hemisphere but near 42° latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. We investigated the consequent effects on equatorial electron and ion densities by comparing ground-based observations of ULF field line eigenoscillations with in situ measurements of electron densities (from the CRRES and IMAGE spacecraft) and He+ densities (IMAGE) for L = 2.5 at solar maximum. Near −60°E longitude the electron and ion mass densities are about 1.5 and 2.2 times larger, respectively, in the December months than in the June months. Over the Asia-Pacific region there is little difference between summer and winter densities. Plasmaspheric empirical density models should be modified accordingly. By comparing the electron, helium, and mass densities, we estimate the annual variation in H+, He+, and O+ concentrations near −3°E longitude and −74°E longitude. In each case the He+ concentration is about 5% by number, but O+ concentrations are substantially higher at −3°E longitude compared with −74° E. We speculate that this may be related to enhanced ionospheric temperatures associated with the South Atlantic anomaly.