INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMAGNETISM AND AERONOMY VOL. 6, GI2005, doi:10.1029/2005GI000109, 2006

Variability of horizontal component of geomagnetic element (H) with mean quiet-day variation

Abstract

[1]  The variability of Sq (H) with mean quiet-day variation at equatorial electrojet latitudes and other latitudes has been studied using the correlation between the hourly amplitudes of the H variations dH, at these stations. It was found that these hourly amplitudes of H under equatorial electrojet regions are well correlated with themselves. High significant correlation was established among them. On the other hand, low correlation was found among pairs of equatorial electrojet stations and other latitude stations not under the equatorial electrojet. It was discovered that most times, the variation in the current intensities of the worldwide part of Sq (WSq) and the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) have contrasting phases. It was concluded that the very low correlation coefficients calculated and the contrasting phases of EEJ and WSq current intensities were due to the fact that changes in EEJ current intensity are controlled mainly by E_z, while changes in WSq current are driven mainly by E_y.

Received 22 March 2005; revised 22 November 2005; accepted 20 December 2005; published 24 February 2006.

Keywords: Equatorial electrojet; Geomagnetic field; Current system.

Index Terms: 2409 Ionosphere: Current systems; 2736 Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions; 2712 Magnetospheric Physics: Electric fields.

Citation: Okeke, F. N. (2006), Variability of horizontal component of geomagnetic element (H) with mean quiet-day variation, Int. J. Geomagn. Aeron., 6, GI2005, doi:10.1029/2005GI000109.