Pedersen currents play an important role in the ionosphere, especially in polar regions. In the ionospheric dynamo region near the poles, the ion density is low enough and the magnetic field high enough for the collision frequency to be comparable to the gyration frequency, and the Earth's magnetic field has a large component perpendicular to the horizontal electric field due to the high inclination of the field near the poles. As a result, Pedersen currents are a significant mechanism for charge carrier movement. The magnitude of the Pedersen current balances the drag on the ionospheric plasma due to ion‐neutral collisions.