Spatial characteristics of recurrent ionospheric storms at low latitudes during solar minimum

Low-latitude ionospheric disturbances with amplitudes of 20 TECU occurred during moderate recurrent magnetic storms were analyzed in time period from 2007 to 2008. The analysis of these so-called recurrent ionospheric storms (RISs) was based on global ionospheric maps of vertical total electron content derived from the ground based GPS network. It was found that positive RISs were developed predominantly in the noon and postnoon sector and they have very large latitudinal and longitudinal extensions of up to 70 and 160° respectively. Negative RISs occur mainly in the evening sector and they have ∼1.5 time smaller latitudinal and longitudinal extensions. The different location and spatial scales can be explained by different origins of the ionospheric storms. The large-scale positive ionospheric storms are generated by the mechanism of prompt penetration electric field, operating on the dayside, and by equatorward neutral wind disturbance. The negative storms can be related to the mechanism of disturbance dynamo electric field, operating in the evening sector, and to the changing of the thermospheric neutral composition, operating on sunlight side.