Comprehensive Observations of Multi-scale Polar Ionosphere Structuring Processes During October 13, 2016 Geomagnetic Storm

Solar-produced concentrated F-region plasma can be transported from the mid-latitude region into the polar cap during geomagnetically disturbed period, generating plasma irregularities like polar cap patches, which can cause scintillation and degrade performance of satellite communication and navigation at polar latitudes. Multi-scale observations of the plasma structure and transport will provide key information in the study of the highly-debated patches production mechanisms process and their scintillation effects. This study investigates the dynamic transport process of ionosphere concentrated plasma from the mid-latitude subauroral region into the high-latitude polar cap in the Northern Hemisphere during the Oct. 12, 2016 Geomagnetic Storm. In this work, the GPS total electron content (TEC) data and the SuperDARN convection map are used to study large-scale plasma transport. During the storm main phase, an extended period of strong southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B_z condition caused the expansion of the high-latitude ionosphere convection pattern, transporting the storm-enhanced density (SED) into the polar cap. A patch segmentation process shown by the GPS TEC map is suggested to be caused by a sudden northeastward flow enhancement reaching ~2 km/s near the dayside cusp inflow region observed by the Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar, which suggested that the fast flow is associated with IMF B_y negative excursion and dayside reconnections. Tongue of ionization and several polar cap patches are observed by the GPS TEC map, the Resolute Bay incoherent scatter radars (RISR) and the DMSP satellites, and their temporal evolution and multi-scale structures are investigated. The scintillation effects associated with the plasma irregularities are also studied using data from the Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network (CHAIN).