Efficiency of Ionospheric Model Correction by Vertical-Incidence Sounding Data from an Ionosonde during Low Sunspot Activity

Abstract

Numerical values of the criteria for the efficiency of the determination of the critical frequency of the F2 layer of ionosphere over European Russia are calculated with ionospheric models corrected based on vertical-incidence sounding data from an ionosonde. Two correction techniques are considered: the selection of an effective value of the input heliogeophysical index and linear-correlation correction of ionospheric models with respect to the critical frequency of the F2 layer of the ionosphere. Domains in which model correction by one point is effective are found. They determine the current coverage of the European Russia by the Russian ionospheric observation network. The regions in which the correction of median models is noticeable in comparison with the median models without correction are shown to be 7° in latitude and 15° in longitude at the midlatitudes. It is ascertained that it is mainly impossible to determine the ionospheric parameters at northern points and points in the region of the main ionospheric trough via correction based on data from midlatitude ionospheric observation sites. In these cases, the climate models without correction are more effective.