Effects of High-resolution Forcing on Joule Heating and Ionosphere-Thermophere Disturbances

Abstract:

Empirical models are usually used in general circulation models (GCMs) to specify high-latitude electric potential and auroral particle precipitation. These empirical models represent statistically averaged patterns and mostly capture the large-scale (>500 km) variability of high-latitude forcing. Therefore, the impact of the forcing in smaller scales has rarely been included and evaluated in GCM simulations. Techniques developed in the past few years enable the derivation of high-resolution regional ion convection and particle precipitation patterns from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) and All‐Sky Imager (ASI) observations, respectively. In this study, GITM simulations have been conducted for the March 26^th, 2014 event with different ways to specify the high-latitude forcing, including empirical models, high-resolution SuperDARN convection pattern, and high-resolution ASI particle precipitation pattern. Through comparing the simulation results from different runs, the relative significance of high-resolution forcing terms on Joule heating has been studied. Ionosphere-thermosphere response to the high-resolution forcing has been examined as well.