Simulation of nonmigrating tide influences on the thermosphere and ionosphere with a TIMED data driven TIEGCM

Using TIMED data as the lower boundary condition at 95 km altitude for both the migrating and nonmigrating tide source, we run the NCAR Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM) to simulate the mesospheric and lower thermospheric nonmigrating tidal effects on the thermosphere and ionosphere. In this setup, the TIMED data provide a more faithful description of the tidal forcing inter-annual and seasonal variations, while the TIEGCM provides ionosphere electrodynamics and tidal propagation calculation. The TIEGCM also includes geomagnetic and solar inputs. Hence, this setup will allow more detailed comparison with observations. The simulation results show clear nonmigrating tide effects on thermospheric winds and temperature, and ionosphere electron density. The simulation results also have consistent solar effect, which means larger thermospheric tidal amplitudes during solar minimum. The new TIMED data driven TIEGCM showed westward propagating wavenumber 3 diurnal tide (DE3) in the upper thermosphere comparable with that from earlier TIME-GCM simulation and CHAMP satellite observations. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.