Dayside global ionospheric response to the major interplanetary events of October 29-30, 2003 Halloween storms

We demonstrate extreme ionospheric response to the large interplanetary electric fields during the Halloween'' storms that occurred on October 29 and 30, 2003. Within a few ( 2 - 5) hours of the time when the enhanced interplanetary electric field impinged on the magnetopause, dayside total electron content increases of similar to 40% and similar to 250% are observed for the October 29 and 30 events, respectively. During the Oct 30 event, similar to 900% increases in electron content above the CHAMP satellite ( similar to 400 km altitude) were observed at mid-latitudes ( +/- 30 degrees geomagnetic). The geomagnetic storm-time phenomenon of prompt penetration electric fields is a possible contributing cause of these electron content increases, producing dayside ionospheric uplift combined with equatorial plasma diffusion along magnetic field lines to higher latitudes, creating a daytime super-fountain'' effect.