ULF Pc5-6 magnetic activity in the polar cap as observed along a geomagnetic meridian in Antarctica

[1] Latitudinal and diurnal distributions of spectral power and spatial coherency parameters of the geomagnetic variations in the Pc5-6 (1–6 mHz) frequency range are analyzed using data of magnetometer stations in Antarctica. The available stations give the possibility to form a latitude chain along the geomagnetic meridian 40°E stretching from magnetic latitude 69°S to 86°S. Long-period ULF activity at polar cap latitudes is characterized by lower amplitudes and wider spectra with lower central frequencies as compared with typical auroral Pc5 pulsations. The meridional distribution of average Pc5-6 spectral power is nonmonotonic and has a minimum near 80°. In general, the low-frequency broadband ULF activities in the polar cap and at auroral latitudes seem to be decoupled. This long-period ULF activity in the polar cap could be an image of wave activity in the tail lobes or the manifestation of turbulent component of the ionospheric convection at very high latitudes, but this requires further investigation.