Superposed epoch analysis of the ionospheric convection evolution during substorms: onset latitude dependence

Using data from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) we investigate the ionospheric convection response to magnetospheric substorms. Substorms were identified using the Far Ultraviolet (FUV) instrument on board the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft, and were then grouped according to the magnetic latitude of their onset. A superposed epoch analysis of the ionospheric convection patterns for each latitude group was then performed using radar data for the interval 60 minutes before onset to 90 minutes after. It is found that lower latitude onset substorms are associated with generally more enhanced convection than the higher latitude substorms, although they suffer from the most significant localised suppression of the flow in the midnight sector during the expansion phase. On the other hand, the higher-latitude events are associated with a significant and rapid increase in the nightside convection following substorm onset. These results suggest differences in the electrodynamics associated with substorms occurring at different latitudes.