Development of conjugate aurora observation in Iceland

A conjugate aurora observation between Iceland and Antarctica has been developed in Husafell started from September 2008 to August 2018 with a new additional plan at Manarbakki, Tjornes station. This observation was conducted using ground-based GPS receivers through the effects on interhemispheric conjugate points. The ionospheric total electron content (TEC) from GPS during a weak substorm interval recorded at the northern and southern geomagnetic conjugate points at Husafell in Iceland and Syowa in Antarctica was investigated. The conjugate point auroral features were observed using simultaneous all-sky camera (ASC) measurements. We selected ASC images at Tjörnes and Syowa during the interval 00:18:12–00:50:24 UT on 21 September to study their response on the GPS signals. Based on a detailed comparison of ASC images with TEC variation, we identified that their connections are clearly well-developed only between the regions where the geomagnetic field lines are closed in the footprints of the geomagnetic conjugate points. This implies that the GPS receiver capable used to monitor indirectly the aurora event which coincidently enhanced the TEC due to particle precipitation in the structure of the F-region.