Ionospheric Variations Induced by Thunderstorms in the Central Region of Argentina during the RELAMPAGO–CACTI Campaign

Abstract

The ionosphere can be perturbed by solar and geomagnetic activity, earthquakes, thunderstorms, etc. In particular, electromagnetic pulses produced by thunderstorms can generate wave structures in the ionospheric plasma, which are known as atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs), which can be detected by measuring the total electron content (TEC). We studied ionospheric variations resulting from thunderstorms on 10 November 2018, between 00:00 and 08:00 UTC, in the central region of Argentina, site of the RELAMPAGO–CACTI Project (Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, and Mesoscale/Microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations; Clouds, Aerosols, and Complex Terrain Interactions). Atmospheric electrical activity data were provided by the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN) and the TEC was computed from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements provided by the Argentinian Continuous Satellite Monitoring Network (RAMSAC by its Spanish acronym). We found AGWs with periods less than or equal to 100 min and peak-to-peak Differential Vertical Total Electron Content (DVTEC) amplitude values up to 1.35 TECU (1 total electron content unit =1016 electrons/m2). We observed that AGWs show the highest peak-to-peak amplitudes during intense thunderstorm periods. On a day without thunderstorms, the peak-to-peak amplitudes were approximately 2.91 times lower.