Statistical Study on the Correlation Between Equatorial Plasma Bubble Zonal Drift and Zonal Neutral Wind in the Low‐Latitude Region of China

Abstract The zonal neutral wind is generally believed as the driving source of zonal drift of the equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs). Comparing their correlations is crucial for understanding the zonal drift of EPBs. However, studies on their relationship by utilizing ground‐based observational data are very limited, especially in the Chinese sector. In this study, we conducted a statistical comparison between the EPB zonal drift velocity estimated from an All‐Sky Airglow Imager (ASAI) and the zonal neutral wind obtained from a Fabry‐Perot Interferometer (FPI) and a Dual‐Channel Optical Interferometer (DCOI) deployed at the Fuke (; , dip latitude ∼9.7°N) station over more than 1 yr, from June 2023 to December 2024. The results show that the zonal drift velocities of over 50% EPB events are generally consistent with the zonal neutral wind velocities. For the remaining cases, the EPB zonal drift velocity differs from the zonal neutral wind velocity, with more pronounced deviations observed around midnight. Before midnight, events with EPB zonal drift velocities lower than the wind velocity outnumber those with higher velocities. After midnight, this trend reverses, with higher EPB velocities becoming more frequent. Additionally, the differences between EPB zonal drift velocity and zonal neutral wind velocity exhibit seasonal variations and are modulated by geomagnetic activity. These results provide valuable insights for advancing our understanding of the patterns and physical mechanisms governing EPB zonal drift.