Abstract

We present a comprehensive investigation on the propagation characteristics of duskside medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) using 630.0‐nm airglow emissions over Tromsø (69.6°N, 19.2°E; magnetic latitude: 66.7°N). The unique points of our observation are (1) duskside MSTIDs primarily exhibited eastward motion under quiet conditions but turned to the westward direction associated with geomagnetic disturbances, (2) the westward moving MSTIDs again turned to the eastward direction when the geomagnetic disturbance ceased, (3) the turning of MSTIDs to the westward direction was invariably associated with an increase of the northward component of the magnetic field observed by the local ground‐based magnetometers and with the equatorward expansion of the auroral oval, and (4) the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network convection maps revealed that the location of Tromsø was inside (outside) the duskside convection cell during the time of appearance of westward (eastward) moving MSTIDs. The average eastward and westward velocities of MSTIDs were ~25–80 and ~40–140 m/s, respectively. The Doppler shift measurement of the 630‐nm airglow by a Fabry‐Perot interferometer at Tromsø showed that northeastward winds were predominant during the appearance of eastward moving MSTIDs. These experimental evidences suggest that the oscillatory motion of MSTIDs over high latitudes is driven by the convection electric field. The MSTIDs tend to move eastward under geomagnetically quiet conditions but show westward motion under the influence of convection electric field associated with auroral activities in the duskside of two‐cell convection pattern.