Navegando por Autor "Souza, Ana Lucia Christovam de"

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    Advantages and disadvantages of VTEC, ROTI and airglow images in studying equatorial plasma bubbles
    (Elsevier) Souza, Ana Lucia Christovam de; Prol, Fabricio dos Santos; Muella, Marcio Tadeu de Assis Honorato; Picanço, Giorgio Arlan da Silva; Camargo, Paulo de Oliveira; Monico, João Francisco Galera
    Equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) are large-scale plasma depletion structures, observed near the geomagnetic equator and in low- latitude regions after sunset. Several instruments have been employed to study EPBs, such as ionosondes, in situ satellites, coherent and incoherent scatter radars, airglow imagers, GNSS radio occultation, and GNSS ground-based stations. Among these instruments, Total Electron Content (TEC) and Rate of TEC change Index (ROTI) data derived by GNSS measurements are presenting as outstand- ing data sources to study the climatology of EPBs. In this study, we evaluate the reliability of TEC and ROTI index for mapping iono- spheric plasma bubble structures in comparison to airglow images, demonstrating the performance of each technique and highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages. The results demonstrate that TEC and ROTI time series are effective to identify plasma bubble occurrence in terms of temporal profiles, horizontal maps, and keograms for EPB velocity estimation. In terms of ionospheric temporal profiles, all techniques presented a good correspondence, TEC data may present direct characteristics of plasma bubbles, i.e., the intensity of the electron density depletions, while ROTI values are more suitable to present the occurrence, or not, of plasma bubbles. TEC maps showed advantages in mapping the horizontal distributions of EPBs, specially at the equatorial regions where ROTI failed to detect disturbances. Velocity estimates based on keograms from airglow data averaged 111 m/s, while TEC and ROTI index averaged 106 m/s and 107 m/s, respectively. Overall, TEC data presented better estimates of velocities due to the geometric and physical information, while ROTI offers statistical insights that often mask the natural propagation of EPBs.
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    Drift Velocity Estimation of Ionospheric Bubbles Using GNSS Observations
    (Advancing Earth and Space Sciences) Souza, Ana Lucia Christovam de; Camargo, Paulo de Oliveira; Muella, Marcio Tadeu de Assis Honorato; Tardelli‐Coelho, Flavia
    Equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) irregularities are large-scale plasma depleted structures that exist in the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere. Thus, particularly in these regions, much attention must be given to the effects of the EPBs in the life critical applications based on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). The study on the dynamics of plasma bubbles, particularly in the determination of their drift velocities, and their impact on ground-based augmentation system is of fundamental importance for civilian aviation. In this regard, we proposed a methodology to estimate the zonal drift velocities of the plasma bubble irregularities using slant total electron content (TEC) measurements derived from two spaced ground-based GNSS receivers. The experiments were performed with the purpose to evaluate if the drift velocities obtained using the methodology proposed in this study agree with the velocities deduced from all-sky imaging systems. The results revealed that the TEC-estimated mean eastward drift velocities were comparable with the values deduced from the airglow techniques, and with the results obtained from previous studies. Therefore, the methodology proposed in this work to infer the plasma bubble drift velocities seem to have the potential in future investigations to provide a new datasource in this field
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    Midnight Simultaneous Observations of Spread-F and Multiple F-Layer Stratifications During the 11-12 May 2024 Geomagnetic Superstorm
    (Advancing Earth and Space Sciences) Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Anoruo, Chukwuma Moses; Picanço, Giorgio Arlan da Silva; Pezzopane, Michael; Habarulema, John Bosco; Kavutarapu, Venkatesh; Tardelli, Alexandre; Souza, Ana Lucia Christovam de; Vieira, Francisco
    A geomagnetic superstorm occurred from May 10 to 12, 2024, producing significant spatial and temporal disturbances in the ionosphere. Ground‐based ionosonde and GPS‐TEC data enabled the identification, analysis, and possible interpretation of a unique event: the simultaneous occurrence of Spread‐F and multiple F‐layer stratifications during the local midnight hours of May 11. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of such a phenomenon occurring at local midnight. This study provides new insights into the dynamics of the equatorial and low‐latitude ionosphere under extreme geomagnetic conditions and highlights the critical role of coordinated, multi‐instrument observations in advancing our understanding of ionospheric electrodynamics.
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    Simultaneous occurrence of midlatitude plasma bubbles and LSTIDs during the 10 October 2024 geomagnetic storm
    (Elsevier) Picanço, Giorgio Arlan da Silva; Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Moro, Juliano; Nogueira, Paulo Alexandre Bronzato; Muella, Marcio Tadeu de Assis Honorato; Nardini, Clezio Marcos de; Resende, Laysa Cristina Araújo; Silva, Lígia Alves da; Laranja, Sophia Rodrigues; Anoruo, Chukwuma Moses; Agyei-Yeboah, Ebenezer; Souza, Ana Lucia Christovam de
    In this study, we present a multi-instrumental analysis of the extreme geomagnetic storm of October 10, 2024, focusing on the inter- action between Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) and Large-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (LSTIDs) over the American sector. Using Rate of Total Electron Content Index (ROTI), Total Electron Content (TEC), and Detrended Total Electron Content (DTEC) maps derived from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data, we investigated the ionospheric response to the geomag- netic storm. This analysis was complemented by far-ultraviolet airglow observations from the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission, in situ electron density profiles from the Swarm satellite constellation, and ground-based ionosonde measure- ments. These multi-instrumental datasets revealed a sequence of coupled processes responsible for the generation, expansion, and mor- phological deformation of EPBs, extending well beyond their typical equatorial domain. Prompt Penetration Electric Fields (PPEFs), which led to an enhanced pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) over western South America, drove a substantial uplift of the ionospheric F-region, exceeding 700 km, and favored the development of large-scale EPBs. These structures manifested as a reversed-C-shaped plasma depletion band, confirmed by both ROTI and GOLD observations. Simultaneously, DTEC maps and keograms revealed the equatorward propagation of storm-time LSTIDs. A pronounced spatial and temporal overlap between EPB and LSTID signatures was observed at midlatitudes, especially across the western South American longitudinal sector. This interaction appears to have mod- ulated the outer structure of the EPBs, leading to asymmetric deformation and enhanced latitudinal expansion. Finally, our findings highlight the role of multiscale coupling between high-latitude and equatorial processes during geomagnetic storms and emphasize the need for integrated observations to fully characterize the dynamics of storm-induced ionospheric disturbances.
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    Spatial Characteristics of GNSS Fading and Scintillation in Low Latitudes
    (Springer Nature Link) Di Santis, Victor; Moraes, Alison; Costa, Emanoel; Sousasantos, Jonas; Silva, Paulo Renato Pereira; Souza, Ana Lucia Christovam de
    Previous studies evaluated several characteristics of ionospheric fading events and amplitude scintillation. However, a detailed analysis on how the fading profiles and scintillation probabilities vary according to the dip latitude is still required. In this work, a statistical analysis of data from four ground-based scintillation monitors was performed to evaluate how the α coefficient (first parameter of the “α–μ” probability distribution model); the deepest fading occurrence; the number of fading events per minute; and the duration of fading events change according to the dip latitudes of the ionospheric pierce points (IPPs) of transionospheric propagation paths. The results reveal a nuanced spatial variation in amplitude scintillation, emphasizing an enhanced severity within the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) southern crest, resulting in a clear increase in the probability of severe fading events. An increasing trend in the α fading coefficient at more poleward dip latitudes was found, in comparison with results from equatorward locations, suggesting an asymmetry favoring more severe fading events within the former region. The average fad- ing occurrences are significantly larger over the EIA peak region, especially for increasing scintillation levels. Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF) curves demonstrate peak probabilities between dip latitudes from − 14.5° to − 10.5° for higher scintillation levels, also displaying an asymmetrical pattern around the EIA boundaries. This study provides important insights on the spatial dynamics of scintillation and fading profiles, enhancing the understanding of low-latitude ionospheric effects on global network satellite system (GNSS) signals.
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    Spatial Characteristics of GNSS Fading and Scintillation in Low Latitudes
    (Springer Nature) Santis, Victor Di; Moraes, Alison; Costa Emanoel; Sousasantos, Jonas; Silva, Paulo Renato Pereira; Souza, Ana Lucia Christovam de
    Previous studies evaluated several characteristics of ionospheric fading events and amplitude scintillation. However, a detailed analysis on how the fading profiles and scintillation probabilities vary according to the dip latitude is still required. In this work, a statistical analysis of data from four ground-based scintillation monitors was performed to evaluate how the alpha coefficient (first parameter of the "alpha-mu" probability distribution model); the deepest fading occurrence; the number of fading events per minute; and the duration of fading events change according to the dip latitudes of the ionospheric pierce points (IPPs) of transionospheric propagation paths. The results reveal a nuanced spatial variation in amplitude scintillation, emphasizing an enhanced severity within the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) southern crest, resulting in a clear increase in the probability of severe fading events. An increasing trend in the alpha fading coefficient at more poleward dip latitudes was found, in comparison with results from equatorward locations, suggesting an asymmetry favoring more severe fading events within the former region. The average fading occurrences are significantly larger over the EIA peak region, especially for increasing scintillation levels. Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF) curves demonstrate peak probabilities between dip latitudes from - 14.5 degrees to - 10.5 degrees for higher scintillation levels, also displaying an asymmetrical pattern around the EIA boundaries. This study provides important insights on the spatial dynamics of scintillation and fading profiles, enhancing the understanding of low-latitude ionospheric effects on global network satellite system (GNSS) signals.