Variability Of The Center Of The Equatorial Electrojet At West African And Indian Sub-Sectors As Obtained From A Thick Current Shell Model

A tested thick current shell model format of Equatorial electrojet, an intense current flowing eastward in the low latitude ionosphere within the narrow region flanking the dip equator, have been used to evaluate the hourly values of the center of equatorial electrojet at the West African and Indian sub sectors. The thick current shell model, which takes into account the vertical ionospheric currents, were used to fit data of equatorial electrojet indices obtained from ground observations. The equatorial electrojet center exhibits diurnal and seasonal variations at both sectors. At the Indian sector, the center of EEJ is observed to migrate northwards towards the dip equator from the dawn such that it is closer to the dip equator at about local noon and then recline southwards towards the dusk. The variability of the jet center is explicable in terms of the meridional winds. The model results tallied with the satellite observations.