The fundamental theme of the volume refers to the physics and mechanisms behind the longitudinal and hemispheric dependencies of space weather and the connection between tropospheric weather and space weather. The volume provides a clear description of the physics of this system that controls the longitude and hemispheric dependence of space weather in several tutorial-like articles that will be of value to the upper atmosphere scientific community in general and to the ongoing global magnetosphere- ionosphere-thermosphere (MIT) modeling effort in particular. A number of articles from each science theme describes details of the physics behind each phenomenon that help to solve the complexity of the MIT system. Since the volume is an outcome of the research presented at the first Chapman conference held in Africa, it will further provide great opportunities and motivations to the African scientists to communicate their research results with the international community using the volume as a vehicle. In particular, this conference volume will greatly enhance the space science education and research interest in the African continent and across the globe. The interaction between African and other international scientists through this monograph will significantly spark interest in space science education and research throughout Africa and other continents globally.
The volume includes articles from six science themes that were discussed at the Chapman conference in 2012. These include: i) Hemispherical Dependence of Magnetospheric Energy Injection and the Thermosphere-Ionosphere Response;
ii) Longitude and Hemispheric Dependence of Storm-Enhanced Densities (SED);
iii) Response to the Thermosphere and Ionosphere to Variability in Solar Radiation;
iv) Longitude Spatial Structure in Total Electron Content and Electrodynamics;
v) Temporal Response to the Lower-Atmosphere Disturbances; vi) Ionospheric Irregularities and Scintillation
The proposed volume will be useful to both active researchers and advanced graduate students in the field of physics, geophysics and engineering, especially who are keen to acquire a global understanding of equatorial ionosphere motion and want to take the global modeling effort one step forward by including observational information from longitudinal sectors across the globe.
