Association of Inclined Sporadic E-Layers and Small-Scale Atmospheric Waves in Earth’s Ionosphere

Abstract

A new method has been developed for determining the characteristics of internal atmospheric waves based on the use of inclined sporadic E-layers of Earth’s ionosphere as a detector. The method is based on the fact that an internal wave propagating through an initially horizontal sporadic E-layercauses rotation of the plasma density gradient in the direction of the wave vecto which leads to the establishment of a layer ionization plane parallel to the phase wave front. The developed method allows us to study the relationship between small-scale internal waves and sporadic E-layers in Earth’s ionosphere and significantly expands the capabilities of traditional radio occultation monitoring of the atmosphere. It was found that the studied internal atmospheric waves have periods from 35 to 46 min and vertical phase velocities from 1.2 to 2.0 m/s which is in good agreement with the results of independent experiments and modeling data for sporadic E-structures at an altitude of ~100 km in Earth’s polar cap.