An empirical approach to the study of blanketing type Es

A method of analysis of blanketing Es data, based on an empirical formula proposed by Smith (1957), is outlined and it is shown that fbEs data can be fitted well by the empirical formula. The empirical method of analysis can provide information on occurrence frequency of Es- layers with fbEs less than foE.Results obtained from empirical analysis of data from Ibadan and Port Stanley indicate that (i) observed time variation of mean $\text{fbEs}$ is influenced considerably by the choice of the lower limiting frequency used for the Es count and (ii) that blanketing Es-layers observable at equatorial latitudes could be of comparable intensity as those observable at midlatitudes, though blanketing Es is more frequent at midlatitudes.