Significant East-West Electron Density Differences Occurring in Less Than 30° Longitude Over the Ocean During the Recovery Phase of a Strong Geomagnetic Storm in Solar Minimum

Abstract

We conducted observational studies of ionospheric responses to the geomagnetic storm on 12 May 2021. We selected three cases that the electron density altitude profiles observed by Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2) exhibited significant longitudinal differences in less than 30° longitudes. These cases occurred over the Atlantic Ocean and during the storm's recovery phase. All three cases show relatively weaker variations on the west side between disturbed and quiet time (<10%), while displaying pronounced positive/negative electron density variations on the east side (as large as 100%). GOLD and ICON observations illustrate that the thermospheric composition plays a minor role in the longitudinal differences, while neutral winds and disturbed electric fields make major contributions. Furthermore, significant longitudinal differences in E×B drift and neutral winds have also been observed, which will be part of the future work. This study provides unique insights into ionospheric responses within 30-degree longitude range over the ocean.