Modeling the Ionosphere-Thermosphere Response to a Geomagnetic Storm Using Physics-based Magnetospheric Energy Input: OpenGGCM-CTIM Results

Abstract: The magnetosphere is a major source of energy for the Earth's ionosphere and thermosphere (IT) system. Current IT models drive the upper atmosphere using empirically calculated magnetospheric energy input. Thus, they do not sufficiently capture the storm-time dynamics, particularly at high latitudes. To improve the prediction capability of IT models, a physics-based magnetospheric input is necessary. Here, we use the Open Global General Circulation Model (OpenGGCM) coupled with the Coupled Th...