Field‐Aligned Currents During High‐Intensity Long‐Duration Continuous Auroral Electrojet Activity Events: Seasonal Dependences

High‐intensity long‐duration continuous auroral electrojet activity (HILDCAA) events caused by interplanetary Alfvén waves are associated with global‐scale convection events. HILDCAAs occur primarily during the solar cycle declining phase (Hajra et al., 2013, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgra.50530 ). A statistical study is conducted for 42 HILDCAAs occurring between 2009 and 2023 to investigate associated auroral region field‐aligned currents (FACs). The FAC measurements used in this study were made by the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment. It is shown that HILDCAA‐related FAC probability distributions are characterized by a median FAC intensity of ∼5 MA, ∼2 times the quiet time FAC intensity, with slight variations between day and night, and from one season to the other. During HILDCAAs (pre‐HILDCAA quiet times), the dayside FAC intensity is found to be the strongest during summer, ∼15%–32% (∼92%–96%) stronger than during equinoxes, and ∼87% (∼128%) stronger than during winter. The nightside HILDCAA‐related FAC intensity during fall is found to be ∼8%, ∼10%, and ∼29% stronger than during summer, spring, and winter, respectively. For pre‐HILDCAA intervals, the nightside FAC intensity during summer is ∼51%, ∼62%, and ∼94% stronger than during fall, winter, and spring, respectively. These latter results are in clear contrasts to previous results showing no seasonal dependences of nightside FAC intensities during geomagnetic quiet and disturbed times.