An electric field penetration model for seismo-ionospheric research

Abstract We investigate the electric field penetration of the lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC) problem to study abnormal seismo-ionospheric disturbance. By directly solving the LAIC electric field penetration model at the high-latitude region, we find that the additional current induced at the ground surface flows into the ionosphere completely and further generates an abnormal ionospheric electric field. Therefore, we reasonably suggest that the electric field penetration of LAIC at middle- and low-latitude regions can be solved from the perspective of the ionospheric electric field model. The current from the downward atmosphere is treated as the source term. The simulation results demonstrate the following principal findings: (a) for the high-latitude region, the horizontal electric field in the ionosphere does not change with height and the vertical electric field can be neglected; (b) for the middle- and low-latitude regions, the intensity of the total horizontal electric field increases with the latitude and the vertical electric field is more obvious at low latitudes; and (c) the penetration height of the LAIC electric field in the ionosphere is lower at low latitudes than at high latitudes. We also find that according to the diurnal change of the ionospheric conductivity, the most efficient time for electric field penetration is between 00:00 and 04:00 local time.