Ionosphere/thermosphere simulations with the Canadian Atmosphere And Ionosphere Model

The Canadian Ionosphere and Atmosphere Model (C-IAM) is a newly developed whole atmosphere model. It consists of two pre-existing first principles models: the extended Canadian Middle Atmosphere (CMAM) and the ionospheric part of the Upper Atmosphere Model (UAM). Two-way coupling is implemented between the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere throughout the model domain (which extends from the surface to the inner magnetosphere). The C-IAM is a self-consistent, whole atmosphere model that is capable of studying both the impact of the lower atmosphere on the thermosphere and the ionosphere and the impact of geomagnetic conditions on the neutral atmosphere. In addition to the first principles modelling blocks, the C-IAM includes additional empirical models (e.g., MSISE) which can be incorporated for specific studies. To reproduce the response to specific space weather events, the real (observed) high-latitudinal electric field distribution can be used as input to the model simulations. Successful applications include simulating the wave number 4 features observed in the nighttime O ionospheric emission at 135.6 nm, modelling the 732 nm O+ daytime emission and retrieving from it the atomic oxygen concentration, and explaining disturbances measured by the GOCE satellite accelerometers over high latitudes during geomagnetically active days. This paper will introduce the model and describe these successes.