High-latitude energy input and its impact on the thermosphere

It was found that Joule heating is the primary form of magnetospheric energy input, especially during active times when the hemispheric-integrated Joule heating can be an order of magnitude larger than the hemispheric-integrated auroral power.

Most of magnetospheric energy is dissipated in the auroral zone rather than in the polar cap. On average, only about 22-25% of the total hemispheric energy input is dissipated into the polar cap region bordered by the convection reversal boundary (CRB) and the poleward auroral flux boundary (FXB). The impact of high-latitude energy input was also investigated to unveil the causal relationship between Joule heating and the formation of polar cap mass density anomalies.