Locations Where Space Weather Energy Impacts the Atmosphere
| Autor: | Jan Josef Sojka |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Atmospheric physics
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Meteorology Astronomy and Astrophysics Space weather Atmospheric temperature Atmospheric sciences 01 natural sciences Atmosphere Space and Planetary Science Physics::Space Physics 0103 physical sciences Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics Environmental science Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Atmospheric electricity Thermosphere Ionosphere 010303 astronomy & astrophysics Physics::Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Space environment |
| Zdroj: | Space Science Reviews. 212:1041-1067 |
| ISSN: | 1572-9672 0038-6308 |
| Popis: | In this review we consider aspects of space weather that can have a severe impact on the terrestrial atmosphere. We begin by identifying the pre-conditioning role of the Sun on the temperature and density of the upper atmosphere. This effect we define as “space climatology”. Space weather effects are then defined as severe departures from this state of the atmospheric energy and density. Three specific forms of space weather are reviewed and we show that each generates severe space weather impacts. The three forms of space weather being considered are the solar photon flux (flares), particle precipitation (aurora), and electromagnetic Joule heating (magnetosphere–ionospheric (M-I) coupling). We provide an overview of the physical processes associated with each of these space weather forms. In each case a very specific altitude range exists over which the processes can most effectively impact the atmosphere. Our argument is that a severe change in the local atmosphere’s state leads to atmospheric heating and other dynamic changes at locations beyond the input heat source region. All three space weather forms have their greatest atmospheric impact between 100 and 130 km. This altitude region comprises the transition between the atmosphere’s mesosphere and thermosphere and is the ionosphere’s E-region. This region is commonly referred to as the Space Atmosphere Interaction Region (SAIR). The SAIR also acts to insulate the lower atmosphere from the space weather impact of energy deposition. A similar space weather zone would be present in atmospheres of other planets and exoplanets. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|