Storm Time Ionospheric Variations from GNSS TEC and Swarm Satellites

Abstract

The geomagnetic storms cause severe threat to the performance of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and other satellites and it is also vulnerable to everything on the Earth. Similarly, ionosphere is dedicated to low down the arrival of different plasma parameters from the Sun, including CME (Coronal Mass Ejections) and solar flares. The aim of this work is to study the ionospheric responses to large geomagnetic storm (Kp > 8) throughout the whole world to study the different ionospheric variations. For this purpose, data from GNSS, and Swarm satellites have been studied for the storm time ionospheric responses. We have analyzed the storm during March 16–29, 2015, and during this storm, we have checked the different ionospheric parameters. The ionospheric variations studied in multiple stations of Asia, Africa, Australia, America and Europe by the analysis of TEC (Total Electron Content) over globe and ionospheric response through the analysis of Swarm satellites. In this work, an explanatory analysis is presented from GNSS and Swarm satellites data and found the possible storm time variations in ionosphere during the storm initial and main phases. Strong positive storm time variations found in stations of Asia (KIT3, SOLA, IISC), Africa (AREQ, YKRO, NKLG) and, America (CHPI, IQQE, RIOP) continents, respectively. This analysis can aid to correct the ionospheric scintillations during geomagnetic storms of different intensities.