Abstract:
This contribution is the first of a two-part investigation into an unseasonal post-sunset equatorial F-region irregularity
(EFI) event over the Southeast Asian region on the evening of 28 July 2014. Ground-based GPS scintillation data,
space-based GPS radio occultation (RO) data, and ionosonde data show the existence of EFIs shortly after sunset over
a region spanning 30° in longitude and 40° in latitude, centered on the geomagnetic equator. This post-sunset EFI
event was observed during a time of the year when post-sunset equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) are very infrequent
in the Southeast Asian longitude sector. GPS RO data shows that the EFI event over Southeast Asia coincided with the
suppression of peak-season EPBs in the African and Pacific longitude sectors. Ionosonde data shows the presence of a
strong pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) in the upward plasma drift over Southeast Asia prior to the detection of EFIs.
Further, it is reported that this PRE was significantly stronger than on any other day of July 2014. An analysis of the
geophysical conditions during this event reveals that this enhanced PRE was not caused by disturbed geomagnetic
activity. Therefore, it is hypothesized that forcing from lower altitudes, perhaps tidal/planetary waves, was the
potential cause of this strong PRE, and the subsequent EPB/EFI activity, on this day over the Southeast Asian sector.
