Spatio-temporal characterization of the equatorial electrojet from CHAMP, Ørsted, and SAC-C satellite magnetic measurements

Abstract

The equatorial electrojet (EEJ) is an eastward electric current on the day‐side, flowing in a narrow band along the dip equator in the ionospheric E region. Recent magnetic observations from the CHAMP, Ørsted, and SAC‐C satellites, comprising more than 95,000 dip equator crossings from 1999 to 2006, have provided an unprecedented longitudinal coverage of the EEJ magnetic signature. We have used these data to construct an empirical model of the EEJ current climatological mean and day to day variability as a function of longitude, local time, season, and solar flux. Our model has been successfully verified against vertical drift data from the JULIA radar at Jicamarca. We have also used the EEJ observations to estimate the self‐correlation of the EEJ, confirming short longitudinal correlation lengths of 15° and finding a temporal correlation length of 2.4 h. Our model's predictions of the eastward electric field and its standard deviation may provide useful input to various kinds of ionospheric simulations. Coefficients and software are available online at http://models.geomag.us/EEJ.html and http://www.earthref.org.