The global morphology of the plasmaspheric electron content during Northern winter 2009 based on GPS/COSMIC observation and GSM TIP model results

Abstract

We studied the contribution of the global plasmaspheric and ionospheric electron content (PEC and IEC) into total electron content (TEC). The experimental PEC was estimated by comparison of GPS TEC observations and FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC radio occultation IEC measurements. Results are retrieved for the winter solstice (January and December 2009) conditions. Global maps of COSMIC-derived IEC, PEC and GPS TEC were compared with Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Protonosphere (GSM TIP) results. In addition, we used GSM TIP model results in order to estimate the contribution of plasmaspheric electron content into TEC value at the different altitudinal regions. The advantages and problems of the outer ionospheric/plasmaspheric parameters (O+/H+ transition height, TEC and electron density at height above F2 layer peak) representation by the IRI (International Reference Ionosphere) model are discussed.