Variations of Low-latitude Thermospheric Winds and Temperature during the 2020/2021 Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming as Observed by ICON and GOLD Satellites

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Using ICON and GOLD satellite observations, the response of the thermospheric daytime horizontal winds and neutral temperature to the 2020/2021 major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) is studied at low- to middle latitudes (0° - 40°N). Comparison with observations during the non-SSW winter of 2019/2020 and the pre-SSW period (December 2020) clearly demonstrates the SSW-induced changes. The northward and westward thermospheric winds are enhanced during the warming event, while temperature around 150 km drops by up about 50 K compared to the pre-SSW phase. Changes in the horizontal circulation during the SSW can generate upwelling at low-latitudes, which can contribute to the adiabatic cooling of the low-latitude thermosphere. The observed changes during the major SSW are a manifestation of long-range vertical coupling in the atmosphere.