The Earth’s ionosphere is composed of dense and cold plasma that includes heavy ions such as He+ and O+. This plasma can directly escape to the magnetosphere following the Earth's magnetic field lines in the polar regions, i.e., ionospheric outflows, and forms the plasmasphere in the low and mid latitude regions. The ionosphere is therefore an important source that provides significant amounts of plasma to the magnetosphere and has a profound impact on the global magnetosphere-ionosphere dynamics. During times of increased geomagnetic activity, this plasma can dominate over the plasma entry from the solar wind. They mass-load the magnetosphere and modify its temperature, and as a consequence the global structure and properties of the plasma sheet, the reconnection processes, and the local properties of the plasma.

Tracking the ionospheric ions in the magnetosphere can also provide clues regarding the generalized ionospheric outflow process and its role in controlling the ionosphere-magnetosphere system. Therefore, knowledge of the ionospheric ion contribution to the near-Earth plasma together with their differential transport and acceleration throughout the magnetosphere system provides a unique insight into the connection between the macro-scale dynamics and micro-scale processes that govern this region.

Recent observations from numerous missions including Cluster, Van Allen Probes, THEMIS, and MMS and simulations identify the origin, transport, and loss of plasma originating in the ionosphere and transported into the plasmasphere and magnetosphere. This session welcomes presentations on all aspects of the origin, transport and effects on the magnetosphere dynamics of ionospheric plasma. Studies based on observations, theory, simulations or their combination are encouraged.