Equatorial F 2-layer variations: Comparison between F 2 peak parameters at Ouagadougou with the IRI-2007 model

Abstract

Observations of the F2-layer critical frequency (foF2), peak height F2-layer (hmF2) and propagation factor (M3000F2) recorded near dip-equator Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (12.4°N, 358.5°E; dip latitude: 1.5°N) have been validated against the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI-2007) model during low (1987) and high (1990) solar activity and undisturbed conditions for four different seasons, with a view to enhance the predictability of the IRI. The results illustrated that URSI option for hmF2 and CCIR option for M3000F2 portray remarkably well the morphological trends and replicate mostly the diurnal salient features of the experimental data at low and high solar activity periods. In contrast, both URSI and CCIR models of foF2 also reproduce diurnal and seasonal patterns and outstanding features of observational data surprisingly well for solar minimum conditions except July; whereas we found considerable disparities between model and data during solar cycle maximum. The total model error ranging from approximately 6–8% (hmF2), 13–38% (foF2) and 8–29% (hmF2), 12–44% (foF2), respectively for low and high flux year, but roughly comparable at 3–7% for M3000F2 at low and high solar activity. Our observations indicate higher values of foF2 deviations compared to prior calculated differences obtained for the low-latitude region over Indian and Asian.