Effect of a solar flare on a traveling atmospheric disturbance

Enhanced solar heating to the thermosphere through enhanced ionization during flares occurs on the entire dayside, with the spatial scale of the increased solar heating being too large to excite AGWs/TADs. Further analysis revealed that strong localized enhancement of Joule heating was produced during the October 28, 2003 flare. This sudden injection of the localized heating, together with preexisting AGWs/TADs excited by moderate geomagnetic activity prior to the flare, produced intensified AGWs/TADs, which propagated energy and momentum to the equatorial region.

On the other hand, model simulations showed that, under assumed geomagnetically quiet conditions, strong localized enhancement of Joule heating and AGWs/TADs were not produced during the flare. This interplay between geomagnetic activity and solar flares can be a challenge to space weather monitoring, specification, and forecasting.