Global Statistical Study of Ionospheric Waves Based on COSMIC GPS Radio Occultation Data**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 41774158, 41474129 and 41704148, the Chinese Meridian Project, and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No 2011324.

Abstract

Extracting and parameterizing ionospheric waves globally and statistically is a longstanding problem. Based on the multichannel maximum entropy method (MMEM) used for studying ionospheric waves by previous work, we calculate the parameters of ionospheric waves by applying the MMEM to numerously temporally approximate and spatially close global-positioning-system radio occultation total electron content profile triples provided by the unique clustered satellites flight between years 2006 and 2007 right after the constellation observing system for meteorology, ionosphere, and climate (COSMIC) mission launch. The results show that the amplitude of ionospheric waves increases at the low and high latitudes (∼0.15 TECU) and decreases in the mid-latitudes (∼0.05 TECU). The vertical wavelength of the ionospheric waves increases in the mid-latitudes (e.g., ∼50 km at altitudes of 200–250 km) and decreases at the low and high latitudes (e.g., ∼35 km at altitudes of 200–250 km). The horizontal wavelength shows a similar result (e.g., ∼1400 km in the mid-latitudes and ∼800 km at the low and high latitudes).