Impact of the October 28, 2021 Solar Flare and the November 4, 2021 Geomagnetic Storm on the Low, Middle, and High-Latitude Ionosphere

Abstract

This study examines the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) responses to a solar flare on October 28, 2021, and a geomagnetic storm on November 4, 2021, across low, middle, and high latitude regions. We utilized GPS-TEC data from the University NAVSTAR Consortium’s dual-frequency GPS devices at the IFR1, IISC, YIBL, YKRO, KERG, and SVTL stations. While the solar flare on October 28, 2021, triggered the geomagnetic storm on November 4, 2021, our analysis revealed notable TEC changes during the latter event. TEC fluctuations were observed across all stations during the geomagnetic storm, with significant disruptions and variable depletion rates. However, distinct TEC variations were noted at KERG and YIBL stations before the storm, likely due to the preceding solar flare. Continuous wavelet analysis (CWT) showed higher periodicity during the storm compared to the flare, proving CWT to be an effective tool for analyzing TEC variability by revealing periodicity fluctuations at all stations. In conclusion, we found that both solar flares and geomagnetic storms can cause significant positive TEC changes.