Harmonic analysis and an empirical model for TEC over Palehua

An empirical model of total electron content (TEC) for a low-latitude station, Palehua, has been developed using harmonic analysis of TEC data measured at this station during the period 1980–1990; the TEC data were obtained from Faraday rotation measurements of linearly polarised signals transmitted by geostationary satellites. The analysis reveals that monthly mean values of the daily mean and the first four harmonics vary in phase with solar activity and exhibit annual, semi-annual variations and equinoctial asymmetries. A set of 81 coefficients of zero and the first four orders were determined which were found to be sufficient to model the TEC. The model strongly depends on the sunspot number. The harmonic components derived from the 81 coefficients are scaled by this property. The modelled monthly mean TEC values agree quantitatively with the measured data, the maximum deviation being limited to ±15%. The model reasonably reproduces the features observed in the diurnal, seasonal and solar cycle variations of the measured data. The annual variation of observed TEC exhibits opposite equinoctial asymmetries at solar minimum and solar maximum. Also, the mean and first four harmonics show a saturation/decreasing effect when the sunspot number exceeds about 170. The observed features are discussed qualitatively.