ULF Wave Electromagnetic Energy Flux into the Ionosphere: Joule Heating Implications

Ultralow-frequency (ULF) waves—in particular, Alfven waves–transfer energy into the Earth's ionosphere via Joule heating, but it is unclear how much they contribute to global and local heating rates relative to other energy sources. In this study we use Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms satellite data to investigate the spatial, frequency, and geomagnetic activity dependence of the ULF wave Poynting vector (electromagnetic energy flux) mapped to the ionosphere. We use these measurements to estimate Joule heating rates, covering latitudes at or below the nominal auroral oval and below the open/closed field line boundary. We find ULF wave Joule heating rates (integrated over 3–30 mHz frequency band) typically range from 0.001 to 1 mW/m2. We compare these rates to empirical models of Joule heating associated with large-scale, static (on ULF wave timescales) current systems, finding that ULF waves nominally contribute little to the global, integrated Joule heating rate. However, there are extreme cases with ULF wave Joule heating rates of ≥10 mW/m2—in these cases, which are more likely to occur when Kp ≥ 3, ULF waves make significant contributions to the global Joule heating rate. We also find ULF waves routinely make significant contributions to local Joule heating rates near the noon and midnight local time sectors, where static current systems nominally contribute less to Joule heating; the most important contributions come from lower frequency (<7 mHz) waves.