Senior, A.1, Kosch, M. J.1, Pedersen, T. R.2 and Honary, F.3
1 Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
2 Air Force Research Laboratory, Boston, USA
3 Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
A knowledge of the spatial distribution of ionospheric conductances is important for estimating field-aligned currents from ground-based measurements. Optical emissions and cosmic noise absorption recorded by auroral imagers and riometers can be used to deduce the conductances since they are both related to particle precipitation from the magnetosphere. Magnetometers and coherent scatter radars give measurements of currents and electric fields from which the conductances can also be deduced. The results of deriving conductances by various different methods are compared.