Observational and Simulation Evidence for a Mid-latitude Ring Current Wedge during Substorms

Observational and Simulation Evidence for a Mid-latitude Ring Current Wedge during Substorms | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Observational and Simulation Evidence for a Mid-latitude Ring Current Wedge during Substorms Yiqun YU, Xiyu LIU, Jiaojiao Zhang, Longxing Ma, Depeng An, Tao Yan, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6868147/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Disturbances in large-scale terrestrial current systems during geomagnetic substorms are well-documented, with the substorm current wedge (SCW) representing a key component. Here, we propose the existence of an additional wedge-shaped current system—the ring current wedge (RCW)—located equatorward of the SCW. While both systems exhibit field-aligned currents (FACs) of similar polarity and occupy adjacent latitudes, complicating their distinction via ground magnetometers alone, we identify the RCW through combined ground- and space-based observations. By superposing AMPERE-derived FACs onto SuperDARN global convection maps during the 1 December 2023 magnetic storm, we identify a distinct counter-clockwise convection cell in the mid-latitude dusk sector of northern hemisphere, a signature expected to emerge between the higher-latitude SCW and the lower-latitude RCW. Global MHD simulations further confirm that intense substorm injections disrupt both the tail current and ring current, forming spatially separated SCW and RCW structures. Their R1-sense FAC footprints exhibit latitudinal separation, enabling the observed counter-clockwise convection. These findings establish the presence of a previously unrecognized wedge-shaped current system earthward of the SCW, fundamentally advancing our understanding of substorm magnetospheric dynamics. Physical sciences/Astronomy and planetary science/Space physics/Magnetospheric physics Earth and environmental sciences/Space physics/Magnetospheric physics Substorm Ring Current Wedge (RCW) Substorm Current Wedge (SCW) Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files Supplementary.pdf Supplementary figures Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6868147","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":477241604,"identity":"855f2f1c-8f7a-4e7c-8f92-32e45ba9d6c6","order_by":0,"name":"Yiqun 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