Response of the lower equatorial ionosphere to strong tropospheric disturbances

A morphological analysis of the results of sounding the lower equatorial ionosphere (the D region) in the region of action of strong tropospheric vortex disturbances (tropical cyclones, TC) is presented in this work. Based on the rocket sounding of the lower ionosphere at Thumba rocket site (8° N, 77° E) in May–June 1985 and on the satellite monitoring of TC in the northern Indian Ocean, it is demonstrated that a sharp depletion (by a factor of 2–4) of the electron concentration at altitudes of 60–80 km could be a response of the ionosphere during the TC active phase. In this case the lower boundary of the D region rose by several kilometers (not more than 5 km), and the temperature in the region of the stratopause slightly (by 2°–3°) increases. It is assumed that internal gravity waves (IGWs) generated by TC cause the effect on the lower ion-osphere.     

Advanced methods of spectral analysis of quasiperiodic wave-like processes in the ionosphere: Specific features and experimental results

Backgrounds of adaptive Fourier transform and analytical wavelet transform have been briefly described in comparison with traditional Fourier transform using a time window. As an example, all three transforms are used to analyze quasiperiodic wave-like processes in the ionosphere, which accompanied the passage of the solar terminator and rocket launch from the Plesetsk site. The advantages of adaptive Fourier transform and analytical wavelet transform as compared to traditional Fourier transform, which make it possible to reliably detect wave-like disturbances against a background of noise at a signal-to-noise ratio not less than 0.1, have been demonstrated.     

Wave disturbances in the ionosphere during a lasting solar activity minimum

Using the Kharkov incoherent scatter radar, observations of wave disturbances in electron concentration N in the ionosphere at heights of 120–600 km are conducted. The measurements were carried out in the periods of the spring and fall equinoxes and winter and summer solstices. The height-time dependences of the absolute ΔN and relative ΔN/N amplitudes of wave disturbances, as well as their spectral composition, were analyzed. It is shown that wave disturbances in the ionosphere with periods of 10–180 min were present at almost any time of the day and in all seasons. Their absolute and relative amplitudes varied from 6 × 10⁹ to 6 × 10¹⁰ m⁻³ and from 0.01 to 0.5, respectively. The maximum values of ΔN and ΔN/N were observed at a height of ∼200 km. The passage of the solar terminator changed substantially the wave disturbance parameters.     

The earthquake-related disturbances in ionosphere and project of the first China seismo-electromagnetic satellite

Based on the case studies and statistical analysis of earthquake-related ionospheric disturbances mainly from DEMETER satellite, ground-based GPS and ionosounding data, this paper summarizes the statistical characteristics of earthquake-related ionospheric disturbances, including electromagnetic emissions, plasma perturbations and variation of energetic particle flux. According to the main results done by Chinese scientists, fusing with the existed study from global researches, seismo-ionospheric disturbances usually occurred a few days or hours before earthquake occurrence. Paralleling to these case studies, lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere (LAI) coupling mechanisms are checked and optimized. A thermo-electric model was proposed to explain the seismo-electromagnetic effects before earthquakes. A propagation model was put forward to explain the electromagnetic waves into the ionosphere. According to the requirement of earthquake prediction research, China seismo-electromagnetic satellite, the first space-based platform of Chinese earthquake stereoscopic observation system, is proposed and planned to launch at about the end of 2014. It focuses on checking the LAI model and distinguishing earthquake-related ionospheric disturbance. The preliminary design for the satellite will adopt CAST-2000 platform with eight payloads onboard. It is believed that the satellite will work together with the ground monitoring network to improve the capability to capture seismo-electromagnetic information, which is beneficial for earthquake monitoring and prediction researches.     

Analysis of seismoionospheric disturbances at the Chain of Japanese stations for vertical sounding of the ionosphere

Seismoionospheric disturbances in the parameters of the ionospheric F ₂ and sporadic E layers at the chain of the Japanese stations for vertical sounding of the ionosphere before strong crustal earthquakes with M>6.5 during the period from 1968 to 1992 have been considered. The dependence of the disturbance time of appearance in the ionospheric parameters on the earthquake magnitude and epicentral distance, obtained for each specific earthquake using the selected series of ionospheric stations, made it possible to consider these disturbances among medium-term precursors of earthquakes. The velocity of the disturbance front apparent motion has been determined based on the model of horizontal radially-isotropic disturbance propagation from the projection of the impending earthquake epicenter to the ionospheric altitudes. The conclusion has been made that the distinguished seismoionospheric disturbances follow the boundary of the earthquake preparation region, expanding on the Earth’s surface.     

Effects of geomagnetic disturbances in power spectra of atmospheric waves in the dynamo region of the ionosphere

The dynamics of wave disturbances in the ionospheric E region in the band of periods of thermal tidal waves and waves of planetary scales (T = 48, 72, and 192 h) has been studied based on the variations in the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field, observed at Paratunka and Barrow observatories in September–October 1999. It has been found that, at midlatitudes during high geomagnetic activity, the intensity of oscillations in the power spectra with T = 24 and 12 h varies with a periodicity of 16 days different from the periodicity of changes in the ΣKp index. The maximal deviations of these periods from the values under quiet conditions coincide with the maximal changes in the ΣKp index. The variations in the 48–192 h band of periods (especially with T ～192 h) intensify simultaneously with increasing geomagnetic activity. The intensity of this harmonic is several times as high as that of the harmonic with T ～ 24 h. The periodicity of changes in the harmonics intensity within the 48–192 h band coincides with the periodicity of changes in the ΣKp index. In the polar ionosphere, the effect of high geomagnetic activity is observed as an increase in the variations with a quasi-period of T ～ 24 h and as an appearance of variations in the 48–192 h band with the periodicity coinciding with the maximums in the ΣKp index variations.     

Optimization method for filtering quasi-harmonic disturbances while preserving the background noise for studying natural microseisms

A method is presented for filtering harmonic components of the signal while preserving background broadband noise. The method is widely applied for filtering quasi-harmonic disturbances in the technique of low-frequency seismic sensing (LSS), a useful signal that is background microseismic noise. The algorithm is based on subtracting the model’s harmonic signal from the real signal by selecting the signal parameters, i.e., frequency, phase, and amplitude. To do this, the parameters of the model harmonic signal, at which the energy of the difference signal is minimal, are estimated using the optimization algorithms adapted for the goal function. The proposed method successfully solves the problem of filtering the background microseism noise out of harmonic disturbances.     

On SEC disturbances in the polar cap ionosphere and their relation to the solar wind parameters

Summary Based on the analysis of the occurrence ofSEC disturbances in the polar cap ionosphere under varying solar wind parameters, the relation between the generation ofSEC-type ionospheric disturbances and interplanetary and magnetospheric conditions is discussed. It is emphasized that the Farley-Buneman instability in the E-layer of the ionosphere, reflected in ionograms as anSEC disturbance, depends on the complex effect of the solar wind parameters, the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field playing an important role.

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a aaua nu u munaSEC n an u nu uu naama ma mam ¶rt; uu mu u, ¶rt; m, u namu u aumu uu, ¶rt;. ¶rt;uam, m maum au-aa, uaa u, u na a uaa a u munaSEC, auum m n uu naam ma, nu numau nam aum n uam aum .

     

Effects of the interplanetary magnetic field sector structure in the winter ionosphere

Summary The ionospheric effects of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) sector boundary crossings are studied for the winters of 1963–69. They are considerably stronger for proton than for non-proton sector boundaries. There are two different types of effects. The geomagnetic type is a disturbance, observed in geomagnetic activity, the night-time ionosphere and the day-time F2 region near the geomagnetic equator. The effect in the ionosphere is interpreted in terms of the IMF sector boundary crossing related changes in geomagnetic activity. The tropospheric type is aquietening, observed in tropospheric vorticity and in the day-time mid-and low-latitude ionosphere (except the geomagnetic equator region). The mechanism of this effect remains unexplained.

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¶rt;m u m nu mau nam aum n () ¶rt; u 1963–69. u m u ¶rt; nm ¶rt; a mau. mm ¶rt;a m¶rt; muna m. aum m u, a¶rt;a aum amumu, u u ¶rt; F2 amu uuaum ama. mu u m ¶rt;mu uu aum amumu, m a nu mau . n mun m nu, a¶rt; aumu mn u ¶rt; ¶rt;- u uum u (a uu amuaum ama). au m ma um.

     

Spectrum of quasi-wave disturbances in the topside daytime ionosphere according to the data of radiosounding onboard the Intercosmos-19 satellite

Quasi-wave disturbances in the topside daytime ionosphere, related to auroral activity, have been detected using the data of radiosounding onboard the Intercosmos-19 satellite on April 28, 1979. A disturbance was caused by an abrupt enhancement of the eastward electrojet, which was not reflected in the variations in the AE and AU indices. According to the estimates, the period of electron density disturbances was about 0.5 h, the velocity was 350 m/s, and the length along the meridian was several hundreds of kilometers, which corresponds to medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). The disturbance amplitude was only 30 km in the hmF2 variations and 0.20–0.25 MHz in the foF2 variations but increased to 0.25–0.30 MHz in the plasma frequency variations at satellite altitudes of 520–580 km with increasing altitude. It is impossible to register so weak short-period variations during ground-based sounding. The method for detecting disturbance spatial characteristics has been proposed. The disturbance spectrum including three quasiperiodic structures has been revealed using this method. The optimal estimates have been made for the trend, described by the polynomial of the third degree, and for the expansion of the residuals in terms of three harmonics.     

中国中东部地区地震电离层低频电场扰动频段及背景时段选取分析

诸多卫星观测结果表明,地震前后电离层会出现宽频带电场扰动,而背景场时频段的合理选取是电离层电场扰动提取的基础.本研究遴选了地磁活动平静期(Dst＞-30 nT,Kp＜3)飞越中国中东部地区(29°N—39°N,107°E—117°E)长达6年共计1527轨DEMETER卫星数据,在电离层低频电场随频率和时间的变化特征分析基础上,对低频背景电场的频段和时段选取开展了研究.研究结果表明：频段选取方面,利用夜侧数据分析地震电离层异常时,可将200~2200 Hz划分为253~566 Hz、566~605 Hz和605~2200 Hz共3个频段,利用日侧数据分析地震电离层异常时,可划分为215~330 Hz、330~703 Hz、703~742 Hz和742~2200 Hz共4个频段,无论是日侧还是夜侧,高频端的数据方差均较大,因此提取电离层异常时需要设置较大的阈值,而低频端需要设置相对较小的阈值;背景时段选取方面,数据集标准差结果表明往年同月数据和分析时段前1个月数据做背景场的效果相当,就实时跟踪分析与地震有关的电离层电场扰动需要,可优先考虑使用邻期数据做背景场,而数据时段并非越长越好,在空间天气平静的情况下,可使用当日前1个月的数据做背景场.

     

Modeling of the planetary structure of the ionosphere and the protonosphere coupling

A planetary model of the ionosphere and the protonosphere coupling is described. The system of three-dimensional nonstationary modeling equations of continuity and motion for the ions O⁺ and H⁺ is presented. Some numerical results of model calculations are compared with the experimental data. The important role of electromagnetic drifts in the formation of large-scale morphological peculiarities of the ionosphere and the protonosphere coupling is shown.     

The structure of extremely low frequency field reflected by the ionosphere

The amplitudes of variations in the magnetic and electric fields at extremely low frequencies were studied on the Kola Peninsula during a five-day-long experiment under different geophysical conditions. These studies demonstrated that the influence of the ionosphere is distinguishable at frequencies of <10 Hz and the structure of field variations reflected by the ionosphere is similar to that of the transverse wave. It is established that the ratio between semimajor axes of polarization ellipses of the electric and magnetic fields is independent of the state of the ionosphere and is likely determined by the deep structure of the crust beneath the site of the experiment.