The INGV software for the automatic scaling of foF2 and MUF(3000)F2 from ionograms: A performance comparison with ARTIST 4.01 from Rome data

The performance of a computer program, called Autoscala, for the automatic scaling of foF2 and MUF(3000)F2 from ionograms has been extensively tested. Results of comparisons between automatically and manually scaled data are shown both for Autoscala and for ARTIST (release 4.01). Particular attention has been paid to the cases in which the ionograms have a truncated trace. The problem of the rejection of bad quality ionograms has been also considered. The analysis of data shows that the reliability of values automatically given as output by Autoscala is good. For the data set considered Autoscala seems to operate better than ARTIST.     

Comparison of satellite measurements of the low-latitude nighttime upper ionosphere with IRI

In this paper, we report the results of our comparison study between satellite measurements and the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model on the seasonal and longitudinal changes of the low-latitude nighttime topside ionosphere during the period of solar maximum from June 2000 to July 2001. Satellite measurements were made by KOMPSAT-1 and DMSP F15 at 685 km altitude and 840 km altitude, respectively. The results show that the IRI2001 model gives reasonable density estimations for the summer hemisphere and the March equinox at both altitudes. However, the observed wintertime densities are smaller than the predictions of the IRI2001 model, especially at a higher (840 km) altitude, manifesting strong hemispheric asymmetries. The observed electron temperatures generally reside between the two estimations of IRI2001, one based on the Aeros–ISIS data and the other based on Intercosmos, and the latter estimation better represents the observations. With more or less monotonic increase with latitude, the temperature profiles of the IRI2001 model do not predict the enhancement seen around 15° magnetic latitude of the winter hemisphere. Longitudinal variation, probably caused by the zonal winds, is seen in all seasons at both altitudes, while the IRI2001 model does not show a large variation. The observed density and temperature show significant changes according to the F10.7 values in the whole low-latitude region from 40°S to 40°N geomagnetic latitude. The effect is manifested as increases in the density and temperature, but not in the hemispheric asymmetry or in the longitudinal variation.     

Pearl diffuse structures on ionograms of Intercosmos-19 associated with irregularities of the low-latitude ionosphere

Unusual complex ionograms obtained by the Intercosmos-19 satellite are considered, in which four diffuse clouds with a characteristic shape are strung like pearls on the main path of the reflected signal. Ray tracing has been used to show that they are associated with 26 layers of irregularities located at altitudes from hmFs2 up to ~900 km. The sizes of the irregularities range from a few kilometers to 100 kilometers, and the intensity of δNe reaches 100%. The heights of irregular layers increase towards the equator, together with a rise of the F2 layer, and are not associated with magnetic field lines. Complex ionograms have been observed on the outer slope and at the top of the crest of the equatorial anomaly. They are probably caused by the processes occurring in the equatorial ionosphere.     

高纬电离层气候学特征研究——EISCAT雷达观测及与IRI模式的比较

利用1988～1999年欧洲非相干散射EISCAT（European Incoherent Scatter）雷达观测数据,对不同太阳活动周相、不同季节的极光椭圆区电离层F区电子密度进行统计分析,研究其气候学特征,并与IRI-2001模式比较.EISCAT观测到的电子密度显示出显著的太阳活动高年“冬季异常”和太阳活动低年半年变化等现象.EISCAT实测电子密度随时间和高度的平均二维分布和500 km高度以下总电子含量TEC,从总体来看与IRI-2001模式预测结果符合较好.但高年在TEC达到最大值前后,IRI-2001模式预测的电子密度高度剖面与EISCAT观测结果有显著差别：F2峰以上IRI-2001模式预测的电子密度过大,造成TEC明显高于雷达观测值.另外,在太阳活动下降相,EISCAT观测显示出明显的半年周期季节变化特征,但IRI-2001模式未能预测出此下降相季节变化.     

A comparison of EISCAT and Dynasonde measurements of the auroral ionosphere

Incoherent-scatter radar and ionospheric sounding are powerful and complementary techniques in the study of the Earths ionosphere. The work presented here involves the use of the Tromsø Dynasonde as a correlative diagnostic with the EISCAT incoherent-scatter radar. A comparison of electron-density profiles shows how a Dynasonde can be used to calibrate an incoherent-scatter radar and to monitor changes in the system. Sky-maps of the direction of Dynasonde echoes are compared with EISCAT-derived density profiles to illustrate how a Dynasonde can be used to measure the drift velocity of auroral features. Vector velocities fitted to Dynasonde echoes are compared with EISCAT-derived plasma velocities. The results show good agreement when the data are taken during quiet to moderately active conditions and averaged over time scales of 30 min or more.     

第11代国际地磁参考场(IGRF11)的比较分析

利用最新的第11代国际地磁场考场(IGRF11)在中国地区进行了一系列的对比分析.将IGRF11与IGRF10计算的2005年1°×1°网格值相减,分析两者的区别;将两模型在2005～2010年间的年变率相比较,进行了差异分析;最后计算了IGRF11的2010～2015年和2005～2010年的年变率,并进行比较.结果...     

A cross-scale comparison of drainage basin characteristics derived from digital elevation models

The feasibility of using small-scale digital elevation models (DEMs) to extract various drainage basin characteristics was evaluated by comparing basin parameters derived from the 1:250 000 DEMs with those from the 1:24 000 DEMs. Twenty basins ranging approximately from 150 km² to 1000 km² in West Virginia, a geologically complex region, were examined in this study. The basin parameters examined included those commonly used in hydrology and geomorphology such as elevation, slope, stream length, drainage density, relief ratio and ruggedness number. Our results suggested that the 1:250 000 DEMs can provide accurate estimates for elevation-based and stream-length-based basin parameters, but not for slope-based parameters. After examining the differences between the DEM-derived basin parameters from the two different scales, we found that the performance of the 1:250 000 DEMs was not significantly influenced by basin size, while terrain complexity seems to be an important factor of accuracy of the estimated basin parameters. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of geomagnetic storms (substorms) on the ionosphere: 1. A review

The result of the effect of magnetospheric storms and substorms on the ionosphere (the so-called main effect) has been studied. The effect consists in that the critical frequency and altitude of the F region vary specifically during a disturbance. The critical frequency first increases before the storm (substorm) active phase, then decreases during the active phase, and increases again after this phase. On the contrary, the F region altitude increases during the active phase and decreases after this phase. An approach to the short-term (2–3 h) prediction of the development of storms (substorms) as the main disturbed space weather elements has been proposed.     

Simulation studies of processes associated with stimulated electromagnetic emission (SEE) in the ionosphere

Results of numerical simulation studies of processes associated with Stimulated Electromagnetic Emission (SEE) produced during ionospheric heating experiments are presented. A one-dimensional magnetized electrostatic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulation model with uniform plasma density is used to investigate electrostatic wave generation in the region where the pump frequency ω₀ approximately equals the upper hybrid frequency ω_uh. In particular, the simulation plasma is driven with a uniform oscillating electric field to represent the long wavelength pump wave and power spectra of the electrostatic waves produced are taken. The pump wave frequency and amplitude are varied to consider the effects on the simulation power spectrum. The upper hybrid frequency in the model is varied through harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency Ω_ce to consider the effects of stepping the pump frequency through cyclotron harmonics. The power spectrum from the simulation plasma is richly structured. The resulting power spectra show sidebands upshifted and downshifted from the pump frequency by multiples of the lower hybrid frequency ω_lh. The structure of the spectrum is highly sensitive to the proximity of the upper hybrid frequency to the cyclotron harmonic frequencies.     

A comparison of drainage networks derived from digital elevation models at two scales

Automated generation of drainage networks has become increasingly popular with powerful analytical functions in geographic information systems (GIS) and with the increased availability of digital elevation models (DEMs). This paper compares drainage networks derived from DEMs at two scales, 1:250 000 (250K) and 1:24 000 (24K), using various drainage parameters common in hydrology and geomorphology. The comparison of parameters derived from the 250K DEMs with those from the 24K DEMs in 20 basins ranging from 150 to 1000 km² in West Virginia shows that the goodness-of-fit between parameter estimates based on the DEMs varies. Results clearly show that superior estimations are produced from the 24K DEMs. Better estimates can be obtained from the 250K DEMs for stream length and frequency parameters than for gradient parameters. However, the estimation of the mean gradient parameters based on the 250K DEMs seems to improve with increasing terrain complexity. Finally, basin size does not strongly affect the accuracy of parameter estimates based on the 250K DEMs.     

Variability of foF2 for an equatorial station and comparison with the foF2 maps in IRI model

In this study, foF2 data obtained from an equatorial station in West Africa were subjected to an occurrence probability distribution test. This was done on an hourly basis, for all the 24 h of the day. The results show that the probability (N_p) of predicting foF2 within the range±of a standard deviation (σ) centered on the mean (μ) is ⩾0.68 is at least about 70% of the hourly set of data considered in this study irrespective of time of the day, season or solar cycle period. The distribution is not, however, perfectly symmetrically distributed around the mean. The seasonal hourly averages of foF2 were compared with those of IRI predictions. The IRI representation was found to be very good at low and moderate solar activity for both day and nighttime when the ITU-R coefficients are used. This is also true of the daytime at high solar activity. The night time prediction is only fairly good when the URSI coefficients are used for the prediction.     

A model of non-monotonically growingN(h) profiles of the lower ionosphere under non-flare conditions

Summary An idea is suggested to explain the existence of a local minimum in theN(h) profiles which is in the height range of 65–75 km under non-flare conditions. This minimum is due to the dominating ionizing influence of theL radiation towards the influence of the X radiation at heights around 70 km. A model ofN(h) profiles is suggested approximated by three exponential and one parabolical functions on the basis of the models [21–24]. These profiles may be obtained by measuring the absorption from a minimum of two measuring frequencies by the A3 method, combined with the vertical sounding by the A1 method.

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Résumé L'on propose une idée de l'explication de l'existence du minimum local desN(h) profils qui existe dans la gamme d'altitude 65–75 km aux conditions non-éruptives. Ce minimum est due à dominante influence deL rayonnement envers cette de rayons X à l'altitude vers 70 km. L'on propose un modèle deN(h) profils qui est approximatif par trois fonctions exponentielles et une fonction parabolic sur la base de modèles [21–24]. Ces profils on peut déterminer par la méthode A3 de mesure de l'absorption ionospheric du minimum deux frequences de mesure, coordonnées avec l'incidence vertical par la méthode A1.

     

呼和浩特—包头地区平均波速比研究

The geological structure is complex in the Hohhot-Baotou area.Several earthquakes with MS≥6.0 have occurred in the area in history.This article selected the Hohhot-Baotou area as the study region and divided it into 2 sub-regions,each with a spatial scope of 3°×2°,according to the spatial distribution of ML≥1.0 earthquakes occurring between January 2001 and April 2010,and the layout of the seismic network in the study region.Average velocity ratios of respective sub-regions were calculated,and comparative analysis was made on their temporal and spatial variations.Results show that there are slight differences between sub-regions in the variation amplitude of average velocity ratio curves over time,which mostly remains between 2.5% to 2.584%.In the Hohhot area,the average velocity ratio is 1.722,significantly lower than the average velocity ratio of 1.733 in the Baotou area.We preliminarily concluded that this was related to the distribution of fault structures and properties of underground media in the Hohhot area.     

Climatic characteristics of the ionosphere over Irkutsk. Observations and comparison with the IRI-2001 model

The morphological peculiarities of the behavior of the electron density over Irkutsk (52.3° N, 104.3° E) have been investigated by the current-median method. The observations are compared with the IRI model data at the decay phase of solar activity (2003–2006). Systematic discrepancies between the prediction and observations are discussed.     

Application of the new international geomagnetic reference field (IGRF80) to large sets of marine magnetometer data

Measurements of the magnetic field made over an interval of time must be corrected for secular variation before the data can be merged. The older versions of International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) failed to model secular variation adequately, and compilation of magnetic anomaly maps from different data sets often required numerous ad-hoc adjustments. With the superiority of the new IGRF at modelling secular variation, the merging of multi-year data sets has become much more practicable. This has been demonstrated in the consolidation of nearly 400 000 data points collected between 1972 and 1980 during 10 different survey cruises in the southwest Labrador Sea.Improvements in the IGRF have been achieved at a substantial cost in computing overhead. The new reference field expressions are more complicated than the old, and hence are slower to evaluate on digital computers. When processing large data sets, this can cause unacceptable delays. A third degree polynomial technique has been devised that approximates the total field portion of the full IGRF expression for a limited time and region. The method reduces processing time by a factor of 40, with little sacrifice in accuracy.     

Changes in the reflectivity of the midlatitude ionosphere with respect to the ULF (Pc1) signal

Summary The method of numerical modelling of ionospheric filtration of the Fourier components of a signal from the frequency range of Pc1 micropulsations is employed in the spectral analysis (frequency f, angle of incidence ) of the relative characteristic of the amplitude and energy reflectivity of the ionospheric layer with respect to ordinary Alfvén modes incident in the meridional plane. The results are presented for four different models characterizing the midlatitude day- and night-time ionosphere under low and high solar activity. The results indicate the specificity of filtration of ordinary Alfvén waves. It is proved that the lower region of the modelled ionosphere, as part of the midlatitude ionospheric wave guide (in particular the F2 layer), behaves like an Alfvén resonator in the given spectral range.

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山西地区的波速比（V_P/V_S）特征研究

利用山西台网的数字地震观测资料,采用单震多台和达法、多震多台联合测定法,对山西北部、中部和南部地区波速比进行分析研究,结果表明：在2010年1月24日的河津万荣4.8级地震、4月4日的大同4.5级地震和6月5日阳曲4.6级地震前均存在波速比下降现象,其中前2次地震发生在波速比下降过程中,第3次地震则发生在波速比异常恢复阶段。之后山西中部和北部的波速比处于低值,尤其是山西北部的波速比低值持续,说明山西省北部是比较危险的区域。