Quasi‐6‐Day Wave Modulation of the Equatorial Electrojet

The equatorial electrojet is an enhanced eastward current in the dayside E region ionosphere flowing along the magnetic equator. The equatorial electrojet is highly variable as it is subject to various forcing mechanisms including atmospheric waves from the lower layers of the atmosphere. There are occasionally times when the intensity of the equatorial electrojet at a fixed longitude shows an oscillatory variation with a period of approximately 6 days. We present case studies of such events based on the equatorial electrojet measurements from the CHAMP and Swarm satellites. The spatial and temporal variability of the equatorial electrojet intensity during these events reveals characteristics of a westward propagating wave with zonal wavenumber 1, consistent with the effect of the quasi‐6‐day planetary wave. Analyses of the geopotential height data from the Aura satellite confirm the presence of the quasi‐6‐day planetary wave in the lower thermosphere during the events. The amplitude of the quasi‐6‐day variation in the equatorial electrojet intensity depends on longitude, but no systematic longitudinal dependence is found for different events. During the event of August 2010, quasi‐6‐day variations are also observed by ground‐based magnetometers and a radar in the Peruvian sector. The effect of the quasi‐6‐day wave accounts for up to ±5.9 m/s in the equatorial vertical plasma velocity at noon, which is much larger than previously predicted by a numerical model. These results suggest that the quasi‐6‐day planetary wave is an important source of short‐term variability in the equatorial ionosphere. Key Points Quasi‐6‐day wave influence on the equatorial electrojet is revealed The effect depends on longitude The modulation of equatorial vertical plasma drift velocity can be as large as ±5.9 m/s at noon