Seminar

The coupled geospace system is the critical region of human space activity and is essential for communication, navigation, satellite operation, and aerospace applications. The electrodynamic processes play an important role in coupling various regions of the geospace system, influencing the magnetosphere and ionosphere, through the variation in the electric fields. These ionospheric electric fields at low and middle latitudes are affected by the forcing from both above and below of the upper atmosphere. Meanwhile, variations in the electric fields modulate the upper atmosphere by changing the coupling between the ionospheric plasmas and thermospheric neutrals. To advance physical understandings of the upper atmospheric dynamics and to develop predictive capabilities for operation, we use a global-scale general circulation model of the upper atmosphere to study the spatiotemporal variations in ionospheric electric. Specifically, we focused on the climatological changes of ionospheric electric fields during geomagnetically quiet time and the response of ionospheric electrodynamics during geomagnetic active time such as a solar flare.

Additional information: Dr. Junjie Chen, cjjvince@hku.hk