Response of the middle atmosphere to the geomagnetic storm of November 2004

Ozone and temperature profiles of the satellite microwave limb sounder Aura/MLS are used for the derivation of the middle atmospheric response to the geomagnetic superstorm of 9 November 2004. We find a destruction of the tertiary ozone layer at 0.022 hPa (77 km) in the northern winter hemisphere lasting for about one week. This effect is surely due to the solar proton event (SPE) of November 2004. At the same time, the zonal mean temperature is enhanced by 5-10 K in the northern polar mesosphere. On the other hand, the zonal mean temperature is decreased by 5-10 K in the northern polar stratosphere. We do not think that the strong temperature perturbations are directly related to the SPE. It seems that the polar vortex was moved by the geomagnetic storm, and this vortex movement caused the strong temperature variations in the zonal mean. However, internal variability of temperature in the polar middle atmosphere in winter without any significant link to the geomagnetic storm cannot be excluded.