Substorm-induced energetic electron precipitation: Impact on

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TitleSubstorm-induced energetic electron precipitation: Impact on atmospheric chemistryAbstractMagnetospheric substorms drive energetic electron precipitation into the Earth's atmosphere. We use the output from a substorm model to describe electron precipitation forcing of the atmosphere during an active substorm period in April-May 2007. We provide the first estimate of substorm impact on the neutral composition of the polar middle atmosphere. Model simulations show that the enhanced ionization from a series of substorms leads to an estimated ozone loss of 5-50% in the mesospheric column depending on season. This is similar in scale to small to medium solar proton events (SPEs). This effect on polar ozone balance is potentially more important on long time scales (months to years) than the impulsive but sporadic (few SPE/year versus three to four substorms/day) effect of SPEs. Our results suggest that substorms should be considered an important source of energetic particle precipitation into the atmosphere and included in high-top chemistry-climate models. Key Points Substorms occur 3-4 times/day driving energetic electron precipitation into the atmosphere This type of electron precipitation is not yet included in atmospheric models Substorms can drive up to 50% loss in the mesospheric ozone column Â© 2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

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1st AuthorSeppälä, A. AuthorSeppälä, A.Clilverd, M.Beharrell, M.Rodger, C.Verronen, P.Andersson, M.Newnham, D.Year2015JournalGeophysical Research LettersVolume42Number19Pages8172-8176DOI10.1002/2015GL065523URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/recor.....a0077e1b7a7754ac75d0f53fePublisherBlackwell Publishing LtdKeywordsClimate modelsEarth atmosphereElectron scatteringElectronsIonosphereMagnetosphereOzone, Chemistry-climate modelsElectron precipitationEnergetic electron precipitationEnergetic particlesMagnetospheric substormsMesosphereSolar proton eventsSubstorms, Atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric chemistryatmospheric modelinggeomagnetic stormhydrogenionizationmagnetospheremesospherenitrous oxideozonepolar regionprecipitation (climatology)Author Keywordsenergetic electron precipitationHOxmesosphereNOxozonesubstorms

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CitationSeppÃ¤lÃ¤, A., Clilverd, M., Beharrell, M., Rodger, C., Verronen, P., Andersson, M. and Newnham, D. (2015). Substorm-induced energetic electron precipitation: Impact on atmospheric chemistry. Geophysical Research Letters, 42(19):8172-8176