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Spatial Feature of the Multi‐Day Thermospheric Mass Density Oscillations Modulated by Interplanetary Environment Forcing.

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Title: Spatial Feature of the Multi‐Day Thermospheric Mass Density Oscillations Modulated by Interplanetary Environment Forcing.
Authors: Li, Wenbo1,2,3 (AUTHOR), Liu, Libo1,3,4 (AUTHOR) liul@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, Zhou, Xu1,4 (AUTHOR), Zhang, Ruilong1,4 (AUTHOR), Le, Huijun1,3,4 (AUTHOR), Chen, Yiding1,3,4 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics. Apr2026, Vol. 131 Issue 4, p1-12. 12p.
Subject Terms: *Atmospheric density, *Magnetic storms, Interplanetary medium, Space environment, Deep learning, Oscillations, Spatial analysis (Statistics)
Abstract: The interplanetary environment exerts a persistent influence on the Earth system under both geomagnetic disturbed and quiet conditions. Multi‐day oscillations in thermospheric mass density (TMD) are an important signature of this influence. However, the impact of interplanetary environment variability is often confounded with the contributions from recurrent geomagnetic disturbances. We use a deep learning model to extract and reconstruct TMD variability from CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload observations and simulate multi‐day oscillations. Ablation experiments show that interplanetary environment variability alone can produce multi‐day TMD oscillations. The interaction of interplanetary environment variability with other drivers further shapes the oscillation patterns. The multi‐day TMD oscillations driven by interplanetary environment variability exhibit marked latitudinal and longitudinal dependence. In particular, the 9‐day TMD oscillations are stronger over the regions with Weddell Sea Anomaly like enhancement. Similar spatial features and seasonal dependence suggest that regions significantly influenced using dynamic processes are more susceptible to external forcing. Plain Language Summary: At several hundred kilometers above Earth's surface, known as the thermosphere, the atmosphere is thin but still produces drag on spacecraft. Variations in thermospheric mass density (TMD) directly affect spacecraft orbits and lifetimes. TMD shows complex variability in response to changing space environmental conditions, with multi‐day oscillations being an important feature. However, because TMD is difficult to observe directly, our understanding of the controlling factors and spatial patterns of multi‐day TMD oscillations remains limited. In this work, we use artificial intelligence methods to extract and reconstruct features from satellite observations and to investigate TMD variability through simulations. We examined the relative contributions of solar radiation, geomagnetic activity, and interplanetary environment variability in driving multi‐day TMD oscillations and identified their spatial features. We found that in regions strongly influenced using dynamic processes, multi‐day oscillations linked to interplanetary environment forcing are particularly significant. Our results not only enhance our understanding of how the thermosphere responds to space environmental changes but also help improve orbital prediction models needed for the growing number of satellite missions. Key Points: Examines the contributions and interaction effects of interplanetary forcing on multi‐day thermospheric mass density oscillationsExplores the spatial features of multi‐day thermospheric mass density oscillationsStronger 9‐day thermospheric mass density oscillations are found in the WSA‐like enhancement regions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Abstract:The interplanetary environment exerts a persistent influence on the Earth system under both geomagnetic disturbed and quiet conditions. Multi‐day oscillations in thermospheric mass density (TMD) are an important signature of this influence. However, the impact of interplanetary environment variability is often confounded with the contributions from recurrent geomagnetic disturbances. We use a deep learning model to extract and reconstruct TMD variability from CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload observations and simulate multi‐day oscillations. Ablation experiments show that interplanetary environment variability alone can produce multi‐day TMD oscillations. The interaction of interplanetary environment variability with other drivers further shapes the oscillation patterns. The multi‐day TMD oscillations driven by interplanetary environment variability exhibit marked latitudinal and longitudinal dependence. In particular, the 9‐day TMD oscillations are stronger over the regions with Weddell Sea Anomaly like enhancement. Similar spatial features and seasonal dependence suggest that regions significantly influenced using dynamic processes are more susceptible to external forcing. Plain Language Summary: At several hundred kilometers above Earth's surface, known as the thermosphere, the atmosphere is thin but still produces drag on spacecraft. Variations in thermospheric mass density (TMD) directly affect spacecraft orbits and lifetimes. TMD shows complex variability in response to changing space environmental conditions, with multi‐day oscillations being an important feature. However, because TMD is difficult to observe directly, our understanding of the controlling factors and spatial patterns of multi‐day TMD oscillations remains limited. In this work, we use artificial intelligence methods to extract and reconstruct features from satellite observations and to investigate TMD variability through simulations. We examined the relative contributions of solar radiation, geomagnetic activity, and interplanetary environment variability in driving multi‐day TMD oscillations and identified their spatial features. We found that in regions strongly influenced using dynamic processes, multi‐day oscillations linked to interplanetary environment forcing are particularly significant. Our results not only enhance our understanding of how the thermosphere responds to space environmental changes but also help improve orbital prediction models needed for the growing number of satellite missions. Key Points: Examines the contributions and interaction effects of interplanetary forcing on multi‐day thermospheric mass density oscillationsExplores the spatial features of multi‐day thermospheric mass density oscillationsStronger 9‐day thermospheric mass density oscillations are found in the WSA‐like enhancement regions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:21699380
DOI:10.1029/2025JA034650