Study of the equatorial electrojet and ExB plasma drift response to Earth?s magnetic field secular variations

JOSE V. VENCHIARUTTI; ANA G. ELIAS; BLAS F. DE HARO BARBAS

Cambridge

Workshop; 8th Workshop on Long-Term Change and Trends in the Atmosphere; 2014

IAGA - ICMA - CAWSES

The equatorial region is characterized by nearly horizontal magnetic lines of force and maximum sun?s ionizing radiation. Here, electric fields in the ionosphere E region are the main drivers of two ionospheric phenomena: the equatorial electrojet, EEJ, and the ExB plasma drift. Both processes involve the Earth magnetic field and since it presents long-term variations in strength and orientation these should be evinced by the EEJ and the ExB plasma drift. A theoretical analysis with the help of some model results is carried out in order to obtain the expected variations in the equatorial ionospheric processes due to secular changes in the Earth magnetic field. A brief analysis of the effects of the shrinking and lowering of the E region is also made in order to make a comparison with the consequences of the increasing greenhouse gases concentration.