Characteristics of the equatorial electrojet current in the central region of South America

Abstract. The work describes an intensive study of storm sudden commencement (SSC) impulses in horizontal (H), eastward (Y) and vertical (Z) fields at four Indian geomagnetic observatories between 1958–1992. The midday maximum of ΔH has been shown to exist even at the low-latitude station Alibag which is outside the equatorial electrojet belt, suggesting that SSC is associated with an eastward electric field at equatorial and low latitudes. The impulses in Y field are shown to be linearly and inversely related to ΔH at Annamalainagar and Alibag. The average SC disturbance vector is shown to be about 10–20°W of the geomagnetic meridian. The local time variation of the angle is more westerly during dusk hours in summer and around dawn in the winter months. This clearly suggests an effect of the orientation of shock front plane of the solar plasma with respect to the geomagnetic meridian. The ΔZ at SSC have a positive impulse as in ΔH. The ratio of ΔZ/ΔH are abnormally large exceeding 1.0 in most of the cases at Trivandrum. The latitudinal variation of ΔZ shows a tendency towards a minimum over the equator during the nighttime hours. These effects are explained as (1) resulting from the electromagnetic induction effects due to the equatorial electrojet current in the subsurface conducting layers between India and Sri Lanka, due to channelling of ocean currents through the Palk Strait and (2) due to the concentration of induced currents over extended latitude zones towards the conducting graben between India and Sri Lanka just south of Trivandrum.Key words. Interplanetary physics (interplanetary shocks) · Ionosphere (equatorial ionosphere) · Magnetospheric physics (storms and substorms)

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A Comparison of Equatorial Electrojet in Peru and East Brazil

The Open Atmospheric Science Journal ◽

10.2174/1874282320130417003 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 29-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

R.G. Rastogi ◽

H. Chandra ◽

Rahul Shah ◽

N.B. Trivedi ◽

S.L. Fontes

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Geomagnetic Field ◽

Daily Variation ◽

Equatorial Electrojet ◽

Horizontal Component ◽

Low Latitude ◽

Vertical Field ◽

The Mean ◽

Western Side ◽

The Magnetic Field

The paper describes the characteristics of the equatorial electrojet at Huancayo (HUA, 12.1oS, 75.3oW, inclination 1.5oN, declination 1.0oE) in western side of South America, where the geomagnetic field is aligned almost along the geographic meridian, and at Itinga (ITI, 4.3oS, 47.oW, inclination 1.4oN, declination 19.3oW) in eastern part of South America, where the geomagnetic field is aligned about 19o west of the geographic meridian; although the mean intensity of the magnetic field in the two regions are almost of the same order. Further comparisons are made of the current at Itinga and at Tatuoca (TTB, 1.2oS, 48.5oW, inclination 7.8o N, declination 18.7oW), a low latitude station in the same longitude sector. The daily range of horizontal component of the geomagnetic field, H, is shown to be almost 16% higher at HUA compared to that at ITI. The daily variation of the eastward field, Y, showed a strong minimum of -40 nT around 13-14 hr LT at ITI whereas very low values were observed at HUA with a positive peak of about 4 nT around 11- 12 hr LT. The vertical field, Z, showed abnormally large negative values of -70 nT at TTB around 13 hr LT. The day-today fluctuations of midday and midnight values of X field were positively correlated between HUA and ITI with a high correlation coefficient of 0.78 and 0.88 respectively. Values of Y field were also significantly positively correlated between HUA and ITI for midnight hours (0.72), while no correlation was observed for the midday hours. The midnight values of X field at HUA, ITI and TTB showed significant (0.90 or greater) correlation with Dst index. Correlation values of about 0.7 were observed between Dst and midday values of X at ITI and TTB and to a lesser degree (0.4) at HUA.

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Productivity increase, reduction of nitrogen fertiliser use and drought-stress mitigation by inoculation of Marandu grass (Urochloa brizantha) with Azospirillum brasilense

Crop and Pasture Science ◽

10.1071/cp18105 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 61 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Rubson da C. Leite ◽

José G. D. dos Santos ◽

Eduardo L. Silva ◽

Cássio R. C. R. Alves ◽

Mariangela Hungria ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Stress ◽

South America ◽

Central Region ◽

Azospirillum Brasilense ◽

Forage Production ◽

Nitrogen Fertiliser ◽

Forage Species ◽

Productivity Increase ◽

Urochloa Brizantha ◽

Fertiliser Use

Among the forage species cultivated in South America, the genus Urochloa is the most used, and the cultivar Marandu of U. brizantha is the most widely planted in Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate forage performance in association with Azospirillum brasilense, combined with nitrogen (N) fertilisation. The study was conducted under field conditions in Araguaína, Tocantins, in the central region of Brazil, between March 2016 and March 2017. Four N fertiliser rates (0, 12.5, 25 and 50kg/ha of N per cutting cycle) were combined with two inoculation treatments (inoculated and non-inoculated), with evaluations carried out in three periods of the year (transition, dry and wet seasons). Marandu grass plants inoculated with A. brasilense had greater plant height, number of tillers and forage production than non-inoculated plants, regardless of the N rate. Inoculation with A. brasilense allowed a 20% reduction in N fertilisation. Our results indicate that inoculation with A. brasilense in Marandu grass, as well as increasing forage production, can help to mitigate the stresses caused by the dry season.

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