HR: 10:35h
AN: SA22A-02 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: Equatorial Scintillation Initiated From Low Altitude Forcing
AU: * Bishop, R L
EM: Rebecca.L.Bishop@aero.org
AF: The Aerospace Corporation, 2350 E. El Segundo Blvd., El Segundo, CA 90245, United States
AB: Equatorial scintillation is often associated with equatorial plasma bubbles (ESF). Thus, understanding the forcing mechanisms behind bubble formation is necessary in order to predict the occurrence of most equatorial scintillation. Gravity waves are a strong driver for initiating spread-F. However identifying the source of the gravity waves remains a difficult task. Since the 1950's tropospheric/ionospheric coupling by gravity waves has been presented as a viable coupling mechanism in the literature. Recent GPS, ionosonde, and ISR studies have linked mid- and low latitude scintillation to the passage of large convective tropospheric storms. In this talk, an overview of recent observational and modeling work is presented showing the coupling between the two regions. Next, using GPS occultation data, evidence of equatorial scintillation due to nearby tropical storms is shown. The source of gravity waves within the tropical storms is then described and the type of gravity waves capable of reaching the bottom-side F-region is characterized. Finally, specific storm examples occurring at low magnetic latitudes are shown and their affects on the local ionosphere are discussed.
DE: 2415 Equatorial ionosphere
DE: 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions (0335)
DE: 2435 Ionospheric disturbances
DE: 7899 General or miscellaneous
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting