Ionospheric D-region Cooling in Response to Variations in Tropospheric Conductivity

Abstract

A new mechanism for electromagnetic coupling between the electrically active mesosphere and the troposphere is discussed. This effect causes a rapid cooling of the ionospheric D-region electrons under large disturbances in tropospheric conductivity. Consequently, the ionospheric plasma transits to the isothermal state from the nonisothermal state conditioned by large mesospheric electric fields. A simplified electric circuit is suggested for troposphere-mesosphere coupling.