Long-Distance Propagation of VHF Radio Waves due to the Effect of the Equatorial Anomaly

Abstract

Observation of 48.25-MHz radio waves transmitted from Bangkok, Thailand, was carried out at Tateyama, Japan, during 2001. Since the radio wave propagates through a crest of equatorial anomaly, which disturbs stratified structure of the ionosphere, it is conceivable that the propagation of the radio wave is affected by three-dimensional structure of the ionosphere. Seasonal and diurnal variations of the signal intensity are quite similar to ƒ0F2 above Guangzhou and also Okinawa, which are located on the great circle path between Bangkok and Tateyama. Using ray-tracing calculations with the distribution of the electron density determined by IRI model, it is also confirmed that the radio wave propagates to Tateyama because of one-hop reflection in the ionosphere and that MUF is mainly dependent on ƒ0F2 above the midpoint between Bangkok and Tateyama. Although the value of ƒ0F2 is almost constant, MUF calculated by the ray-tracing treatment decreases around 14 JST in fall and winter. This decrease is also detected in the observational result of the signal intensity of the radio wave received at Tateyama. The ray tracing calculation shows that the decrease of MUF is due to tilt of the distribution of electron density, which is noticeable in developing the equatorial anomaly. Then discussing the propagation characteristics of 48.25-MHz radio waves crossing equatorial anomaly region, it is important to consider not only the parameters of the ionosphere, e.g. ƒ0F2, but also the tilt of the distribution of electron density.