Ionospheric convection and its relevance for space weather Original Research Article

Ionospheric convection is a manifestation of the coupling between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. Observations of convection can, therefore, provide information on the efficiency of that coupling and the subsequent energy transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere and ionosphere. This paper presents recent observations of ionospheric convection, with particular reference to large-scale observations. The relevance of these observations for Space Weather purposes is also discussed.