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Impact of Sudden Stratospheric Warming and Elevated Stratopause Events on the Very Low Frequency Radio Signal
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  • Helen Schneider,
  • Vivien Wendt,
  • Daniela Banyś,
  • Marc Hansen,
  • Mark Andrew A Clilverd,
  • Pekka Verronen
Helen Schneider
German Aerospace Center

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Vivien Wendt
German Aerospace Center
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Daniela Banyś
German Aerospace Center
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Marc Hansen
German Aerospace Center
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Mark Andrew A Clilverd
British Antarctic Survey
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Pekka Verronen
Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory
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Abstract

Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW) and Elevated Stratopause (ES) events are mid-to-high latitudinal, atmospheric wave-driven phenomena leading to significant changes in wind, temperatures, and vertical mass transport, especially in stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes. Presumably, SSW and ES-induced changes also cause modifications in the highly variable D-region ionization. This bottom side of the ionosphere behaves with the Earth’s surface as a reflection boundary for Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio signal transmission used for long-distance communication. Since perturbations of the D-region ionization are also notable in the VLF signal, it is a valuable tool for continuous investigations of the D-region. Here, we study the impact of four SSW/ES events on the VLF signal amplitude between the high latitude transmitter-receiver link Keflavik, Iceland, to NyÅlesund, Svalbard, to gain further knowledge about interactions between the D-region and the atmosphere during these atmospheric phenomena. For three of four SSW/ES events, a very similar VLF signal amplitude signature is observed, characterized by a significant increase during the SSW period in the signal amplitude followed by a decrease during the ES period. This study aims to reveal a possible mechanism driving these similar VLF signal amplitude variations, involving modified electron neutral collision frequencies and electron densities due to changed temperatures and minor constituent concentrations according to the SSW/ES events. However, the VLF signal amplitude for one event increased two weeks later than during the other three events and did not show a decrease during the ES period. Possible causes for the different VLF signal amplitude variations are discussed.
26 Sep 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive
26 Sep 2024Published in ESS Open Archive