Middle-low latitude neutral composition and temperature responses to the 20 and 21 November 2003 superstorm from GUVI dayside limb measurements

The storm-induced O perturbations decreased in the lower thermosphere but increased in the upper thermosphere. Transition heights of O perturbations from decrease to increase changed with latitude and time. During the storm main and recovery phases, the storm-induced n-ary sumation O/N-2 decreases were mostly related to the O depletion in the low-middle thermosphere, whereas n-ary sumation O/N-2 increases during the storm were primarily caused by N-2 depletion.

There was a remarkable hemispheric asymmetry in composition responses as they have different morphologies and lifetime, especially during the storm recovery phase.