ALBERT

Description: Medium Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (MSTIDs) are wave-like ionospheric perturbations routinely observed by high frequency radars. We focus on a class of MSTIDs observed during the winter daytime at high and mid latitudes. The source of these MSTIDs remains uncertain, with the two primary candidates being space weather and lower atmospheric processes. We surveyed observations from four high latitude and six mid latitude SuperDARN radars in the North American sector from November through May of 2012 to 2015. The MSTIDs observed have horizontal wavelengths between ∼150 to 650 km and horizontal velocities between ∼75 to 325 m s −1 . In local fall and winter seasons the majority of MSTIDs propagated equatorward, with bearings ranging from ∼125 ∘ to 225 ∘ geographic azimuth. No clear correlation with space weather activity as parameterized by A E and Sym-H could be identified. Rather, MSTID observations were found to have a strong correlation with polar vortex dynamics on two timescales. First, a seasonal timescale follows the annual development and decay of the polar vortex. Second, a shorter 2–4 week timescale again corresponds to synoptic polar vortex variability, including stratospheric warmings. Additionally, statistical analysis shows MSTIDs are more likely during periods of strong polar vortex. Direct comparison of the MSTID observations with stratospheric zonal winds suggests a wind filtering mechanism may be responsible for the strong correlation. Collectively, these observations suggest that polar atmospheric processes, rather than space weather activity, are primarily responsible for controlling the occurrence of high and mid latitude winter daytime MSTIDs.