Contributions of GOLD Observations in Advancing Our Understanding of Nighttime Ionospheric Plasma Processes During Geomagnetic Storms

The Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and the Equatorial Plasma Bubble (EPB) are two intriguing ionospheric plasma processes occurring at equatorial and low-latitude regions. These phenomena significantly impact radio wave propagation, often leading to effects such as scintillation and signal fading. Given their socio-economic importance, understanding the mechanisms underlying their formation, evolution, and morphological changes across various geophysical conditions has been a primary focus of ionospheric and thermospheric research. While considerable knowledge has been amassed through ground and space-based optical, radio, and magnetometer measurements, as well as modeling and simulation studies, there are still gaps in our understanding. NASA's Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission has unveiled new insights into these processes. This presentation aims to discuss novel findings regarding the response of EIA and EPB to geomagnetic disturbances.