Model Study on Neutral Winds in the Ionospheric F- Region and Comparison with the Equivalent Winds Derived from the Wuhan Ionosonde Data

Abstract

A theoretical thermospheric circulation model is introduced in this paper. In the model, the Navier-Stokes equations have been solved to derive horizontal neutral winds based on the atmospheric temperature and densities of neutral species, which at present are taken from the latest atmospheric model (NRLMSISE-00). In this work, the zonal and meridional neutral winds are obtained from our model for seasons at moderate solar activity, mainly in East Asia. The zonal winds generally flow westward from around midnight to afternoon and renerse their direction for the rest of the day in equinox, while the phases have some differences in summer and winter. The main daily variation pattern of meridional winds is daytime poleward and nighttime equatorward in equinox. It is also found that the meridional winds blow almost southward in summer and northward in winter. In the meanwhile, comparisons of winds calculated from our model with those of the HWM93 model are carried out to see whether the models are consistent or not. For zonal winds, the results show good agreement in phases and some discrepancy in magnitudes. Our meridional winds present significant differences with the HWM93 model during solstices, while they remarkably agree in equinoxes. Finally, our model meridional winds are compared with the equivalent winds derived from the ionospheric data in Wuhan (30.6°N, 114.4°E). The results show much better agreement than with HWM93 model winds at the height of F2 peak.

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Published by The Chinese Geoscience Union