Multi-instrument constraints on a hemispherically asymmetric positive ionospheric storm in the 60-180 deg E sector during the 12-13 November 2025 geomagnetic storm

TL;DR

This study analyzes a hemispherically asymmetric positive ionospheric storm during the November 2025 geomagnetic event using multi-instrument data, revealing density-driven TEC enhancements with complex timing and hemispheric differences.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive multi-instrument analysis of the storm's hemispheric asymmetry and challenges uplift-only models by showing density-driven TEC enhancements without sector-scale height increases.

Findings

Northern Hemisphere showed stronger, longer-lasting TEC enhancements.

Density increases dominated the positive phase without height uplift.

Timing differences observed between TEC response and reflection-height oscillations.

Abstract

Geomagnetic storms drive complex ionospheric responses through coupled electrodynamic and thermospheric processes, yet attributing storm-time TEC perturbations to specific mechanisms remains challenging. We investigate the ionospheric response to the 12-13 November 2025 intense geomagnetic storm (Dst minimum = -214 nT) in the 60-180 deg E sector using a coordinated multi-instrument dataset comprising JPL GIM TEC, dense regional GNSS networks, continuous BeiDou GEO links, COSMIC-2 radio occultation, ground ionosondes, Swarm in-situ electron density, HF Doppler soundings, and TIMED/GUVI thermospheric composition observations. The observations reveal a dayside-dominant positive TEC storm with pronounced hemispheric asymmetry, where Northern Hemisphere mid-to-low latitudes exhibit stronger and longer-lasting enhancement than the Southern Hemisphere. Joint analysis of radio occultation, ionosonde, and Swarm data indicates that the enhancement is density-dominated with NmF2 and foF2 increases but with no coherent, sector-scale peak-height uplift in hmF2 or h'F2, posing challenges for uplift-only electrodynamic interpretations. Coherent large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances propagate across the equator during UT 1-6, while HF Doppler oscillations maximize later during UT 6-24, revealing a timing offset between integrated TEC responses and reflection-height dynamics. Southern Hemisphere O/N2 ratio depletion observed by TIMED/GUVI provides compositional context consistent with the faster positive-phase decay there, although concurrent Northern Hemisphere GUVI coverage is limited during this interval. These findings highlight the value of multi-observable diagnostics for developing testable constraints on storm-time mechanisms and improving sector-specific space weather nowcasting capabilities.