Metal layer depletion during the super substorm on 4 November 2021

Abstract

Metal layer forms as a result of meteoric ablation and exist as a layer of metal elements between approximately 80 and 105 km altitude, and it provides information about the physics and chemistry of the boundary between the atmosphere and space. There are some studies about the wind field disturbances in Mesosphere and Low Thermosphere (MLT) region and the plasma variations in ionospheric E-region during magnetic storms, but no study on the impact of storms on the metal atom layers in mesosphere. During the super substorm on 4 November 2021, the atmospheric metal layers were observed to decrease by observations from three lidars at the mid-latitudes of China. The Na, Ca and Ni densities on the storm day were significantly lower than in other days in October and November. The O/N2 column density ratio observed by the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) on the storm day was much higher than on quiet days, and the numerical simulation results demonstrate a substantial increase in atomic oxygen density at the heights of the metal layer. The increase in oxygen density may lead to the formation of more metal compounds, thus more metal atoms are consumed. This is an interesting phenomenon that magnetic storm can perturb the atmospheric metal layer through chemical reactions.