DMSP auroral images and the Goose Bay ionosphere

The DMSP/Goose Bay data base consisting of all DMSP images obtained between December 9, 1971 and September 21, 1973 with Goose Bay in the field of view, forms the basis of this study aimed at examining auroral and ionospheric conditions prevailing in the vicinity of Goose Bay. It was found that little of a systematic nature could be deduced from attempts to correlate the presence of auroral activity near Goose Bay with parameters like delta foF2, delta TEC etc., although past studies had established that aurorally induced electron density enhancements in the upper ionosphere always occur a few degrees equatorward of the low latitude boundary of the continuous aurora. Another major result of the study is the finding that the phase of the auroral electro-jet activity is important in determining the proximity of continuous aurora to Goose Bay. Two case studies are discussed to illustrate the correspondences between auroral activity captured on DMSP images on the one hand and ionospheric parameters on the other.