Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2016

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International Session (Oral)

Symbol P (Space and Planetary Sciences) » P-EM Solar-Terrestrial Sciences, Space Electromagnetism & Space Environment

[P-EM03] Mesosphere-Thermosphere-Ionosphere Coupling in the Earth's Atmosphere

Sun. May 22, 2016 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM A01 (APA HOTEL&RESORT TOKYO BAY MAKUHARI)

Convener:*Huixin Liu(Earth and Planetary Science Division, Kyushu University SERC, Kyushu University), Akinori Saito(Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University), Loren Chang(Institute of Space Science, National Central University), Atsuki Shinbori(Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University), Chair:Huixin Liu(Earth and Planetary Science Division, Kyushu University SERC, Kyushu University)

11:05 AM - 11:25 AM

[PEM03-07] Ionospheric Effects of Strong El Niño Southern Oscillation Conditions

★Invited papers

*Thomas J Immel1, Guiping Liu1, Jeffrey Forbes2, Astrid Maute4, Vu Nguyen2, Ruth Lieberman3, Katelynn Greer1 (1.University of California, Berkeley, 2.University of Colorado, 3.GATS Inc., 4.High Altitude Observatory)

Keywords:El Niño, Atmospheric physics, ionosphere, thermosphere

The occurrence of a very strong positive phase in the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in late 2015 has had effects on weather around the entire planet. Furthermore, recent investigations show that ENSO-related changes in tropospheric water vapor and rainfall drive significant changes in the temperature and wind structure in the middle atmosphere, through the modification of the spectrum of atmospheric tides. Given that several components of the tidal spectrum can propagate into the thermosphere, ENSO-related changes at altitudes above the mesopause and into the ionosphere may be expected. Based upon historical events in 1997 and 1998, we will show the ionospheric and thermospheric variations one may expect for El Ni\~no and La Ni\~na conditions. We will also show middle atmosphere conditions measured by the NASA TIMED SABER instrument for the 2015-2016 event. These efforts are enabled in part by modeling capabilities developed for the upcoming NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer mission.