We study the spatiotemporal dynamics of mid-latitude aurora from observations in the south of Eastern Siberia during St. Patrick’s severe geomagnetic storm on March 17, 2015. We perform a morphological analysis of characteristics of the observed auroras. A preliminary conclusion is drawn that the analyzed event is the result of the manifestation of mid-latitude auroras of two types (type “d” and SAR arc) and ordinary aurora observed at the northern horizon. The maximum intensity of the dominant emission [OI] at 630.0 nm (~14 kR) allows this mid-latitude aurora to be attributed to the extreme auroras occurring in mid-latitudes, which is second only to the November 20, 2003 superstorm (~19 kR).

Studies of the upper atmosphere have to be performed using optical photometric and spectrometric means. Modern devices allow precise photometry of the glow of the night atmosphere — airglow — with high temporal spatial and spectral resolution. As a result, the obtained airglow parameters make it possible to determine the physicochemical properties of the upper atmosphere and observe their variation under the influence of various factors. The National Heliogeophysical Complex, which is being created in Eastern Siberia, is therefore to include a certain set of modern optical instruments. The paper presents the main phenomena that will be investigated by the optical instruments of the complex, provides information on their composition and scientific goals, presents the results of preliminary studies performed using a prototype of the instruments. As a result of the studies, the presence of a significant (about 10 m/sec) vertical wind at various altitudes (100 and 250 km) was established, the importance of taking into account the vertical wind to study the vertical dynamics of the charged component was demonstrated. The long-term dynamics of the vertical wind at an altitude of about 100 km has a pronounced seasonal variations and the absence of diurnal variations, whereas the dynamics of the vertical wind at an altitude of 250 km has a pronounced diurnal variations, which is mostly clearly defined in winter. This suggests the presumed presence of vertical circulation cells at various altitude levels. The possibilities of optical stereoscopy and differential image analysis methods are demonstrated, as applied to the study of fast luminous formations and conducting active ground and space experiments to modify Earth's ionosphere. We report the results of the determination of a three-dimensional picture of a long-lived meteor track with the use of two wide-angle cameras. We propose an algorithm that allows us to get a stereo image of events occurring in the upper atmosphere, recorded simultaneously from different observation points. The joint work of the tools of this complex and the development of cooperation with third-party organizations are shown to be a good enough direction for further study of the vertical dynamics of Earth’s upper atmosphere and space weather phenomena.

Peculiarities of 557.7 and 630.0 nm emissions observed in the second step of the magnetic storm main phase at the mid-latitude observatory Tory (52° N, 103° E) on March 17, 2015 are compared with the changes in ionospheric parameters above this station, detected from ionospheric sounding data and total electron content maps. We have found that the intensity of the 557.7 and 630.0 nm emissions noticeably increased after the observatory entered into the longitudinal sector of the developed main ionospheric trough (MIT). The most powerful synchronous increases in intensities of the two emissions are associated with amplification of the westward electrojet during strengthening of the magnetospheric convection. We study the dependence of the ratios between the intensities of 630.0 nm emission recorded in the north, zenith, and south directions on the position of emitting regions relative to the MIT bottom. The SAR arc is shown to appear initially near the bottom of the MIT polar wall and approach the zenith of the station during registration of F3s reflections by an ionosonde, which indicate the presence of a polarization jet near the observation point.

We study the spatiotemporal dynamics of mid-latitude aurora from observations in the south of Eastern Siberia during St. Patrick’s severe geomagnetic storm on March 17, 2015. We perform a morphological analysis of characteristics of the observed auroras. A preliminary conclusion is drawn that the analyzed event is the result of the manifestation of mid-latitude auroras of two types (type “d” and SAR arc) and ordinary aurora observed at the northern horizon. The maximum intensity of the dominant emission [OI] at 630.0 nm (~14 kR) allows this mid-latitude aurora to be attributed to the extreme auroras occurring in mid-latitudes, which is second only to the November 20, 2003 superstorm (~19 kR).

Using vertical sounding data obtained by the Irkutsk digisonde DPS-4 from 2003 to 2016, we have studied the frequency of occurrence of the F1 layer in winter conditions. The frequency of occurrence of the F1 layer in December–January is shown to be more than twice lower than that in February at any level of magnetic activity. At moderate and low solar activity under quiet geomagnetic conditions, the appearance of F1 layer in midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere may be caused by active thermodynamic processes, which lead to transformation or destruction of the circumpolar vortex at heights of the middle atmosphere. Such global dynamic changes occurring in the winter strato-mesosphere are often associated with sudden stratospheric warming events, which are accompanied by increased generation of atmospheric waves of various scales. These wave disturbances can propagate upward to the heights of the lower thermosphere and ionosphere, carrying a significant vertical flow of energy and causing variations in the composition, thermodynamic parameters of the neutral atmosphere and ionosphere.