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

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

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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
Article number	e2024GL111677
Number of pages	11
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	51
Issue number	19
Early online date	27 Sept 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gl111677
Publication status	Published - 16 Oct 2024

Keywords

superstorm
May 2024 geomagnetic storm
polar cap
GNSS
high latitudes
ionosphere

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10.1029/2024gl111677Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

ThemensD2024HighFinal published version, 7.84 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

EISCAT_3D: Fine-scale structuring, scintillation, and electrodynamics (FINESSE)
Wood, A. (Principal Investigator) & Themens, D. (Co-Investigator)
Natural Environment Research Council
11/04/22 → 10/04/26
Project: Research Councils
A world of complexity: The ionosphere seen as never before
Wood, A. (Principal Investigator)
Leverhulme Trust
1/02/21 → 31/01/25
Project: Research
Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk: Ionosphere (SWIMMR-I)
Elvidge, S. (Principal Investigator) & Cannon, P. (Co-Investigator)
Natural Environment Research Council
1/06/20 → 31/05/25
Project: Research Councils
Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk: Thermosphere (SWIMMR-T)
Elvidge, S. (Principal Investigator) & Cannon, P. (Co-Investigator)
Natural Environment Research Council
1/06/20 → 31/05/25
Project: Research Councils

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, SR., 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{b3ddaf115bfd485ea9d953fd07de41fb,

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

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 Shun‐Rong Zhang and Larisa Goncharenko and Asti Bhatt and Gareth Dorrian and Keith Groves and Wood, {Alan G.} and Ben Reid",

year = "2024",

month = oct,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1029/2024gl111677",

language = "English",

volume = "51",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

publisher = "American Geophysical Union",

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 - superstorm

KW - May 2024 geomagnetic storm

KW - polar cap

KW - GNSS

KW - high latitudes

KW - ionosphere

U2 - 10.1029/2024gl111677

DO - 10.1029/2024gl111677

M3 - Letter

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

Keywords

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Projects

EISCAT_3D: Fine-scale structuring, scintillation, and electrodynamics (FINESSE)

A world of complexity: The ionosphere seen as never before

Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk: Ionosphere (SWIMMR-I)

Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk: Thermosphere (SWIMMR-T)

Cite this