A Comparative Assessment of the Distribution of Joule Heating in Altitude as Estimated in TIE-GCM and EISCAT Over One Solar Cycle

During geomagnetically active times, Joule (or frictional) heating in the Lower Thermosphere-Ionosphere is a significant source of thermal energy, greatly affecting density, temperature, composition and circulation. At the same time, Joule heating and the associated Pedersen conductivity are amongst the least known parameters in the upper atmosphere in terms of their quantification and spatial distribution, and their parameterization by geomagnetic parameters shows large discrepancies between estimation methodologies, primarily due to a lack of comprehensive measurements in the region where they maximize. In this work we perform a long-term statistical comparison of Joule heating as calculated by the NCAR Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM) and as obtained through radar measurements by the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT). Statistical estimates of Joule heating and Pedersen conductivity are obtained from a simulation run over the 11 year period spanning from 2009 until 2019 and from radar measurements over the same period, during times of radar measurements. The results are statistically compared in different Magnetic Local Time sectors and Kp level ranges in terms of median values and percentiles of altitude profiles. It is found that Joule heating and Pedersen conductivity are higher on average in TIE-GCM than in EISCAT for low Kp and are lower than EISCAT for high Kp. It is also found that neutral winds cannot account for the discrepancies between TIE-GCM and EISCAT. Comparisons point toward the need for a Kp-dependent parameterization of Joule heating in TIE-GCM to account for the contribution of small scale effects. During times of high solar activity, Joule (or frictional) heating in the Lower Thermosphere-Ionosphere is a significant source of thermal energy, greatly affecting density, temperature, composition and circulation. Joule heating is largely unknown, due to a lack of measurements in the altitude ranges where it maximizes. In this work we compare Joule heating estimates from the NCAR Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM) and as obtained through radar measurements by the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT), from a simulation run over the 11 year period spanning from 2009 until 2019 and from radar measurements over the same period. The results are compared in different Magnetic Local Time sectors and Kp level ranges in terms of median values and percentiles of altitude profiles. It is found that Joule heating and Pedersen conductivity are higher on average in TIE-GCM than in EISCAT for low activity levels and are lower than EISCAT for high activity levels. It is also found that neutral winds cannot account for the discrepancies between TIE-GCM and EISCAT. Comparisons point toward the need for a new parameterization of Joule heating in TIE-GCM to account for the contribution of small scale effects. Joule heating and Pedersen conductivity are calculated in Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM) and European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) during solar cycle 24, as a function of Kp, Magnetic Local Time and altitudeJoule heating and Pedersen conductivity in TIE-GCM are under-estimated for high Kp compared to EISCAT measurementsComparisons point toward the need for parameterization of small scale effects in TIE-GCM