Ionospheric Disturbances Research Articles

Observation of sporadic [formula omitted] layer altitude partially modulated by the Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances at high latitudes over Zhongshan station

At Zhongshan (69° S, 76° E) Antarctica we investigate the sporadic E (Es)-layer virtual height modulation, observed by an ionosonde, during the passage of the Medium-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (MSTIDs), observed by a SuperDARN radar. Two events were identified, on 04 October 2011 at 07:00 - 12:00 UT and 29 February 2012 at 00:00 - 04:00 UT with periods of ∼15.0 and ∼12.0 min, respectively. The magnitude of average height modulation of the Es-layer was ∼3.7 to ∼17.1 and ∼0.5 to ∼7.3 km, respectively, with the same periods as the MSTIDs. Ray tracing during the events shows that the likely MSTID propagation was up to ∼300 km in the ionospheric F-region. The computed ion vertical drift velocity using SuperDARN radar and magnetometer data, and Es-layer altitude modulation observed by the ionosonde have moderate to strong positive correlation of 0.71 ± 0.22 and 0.51 ± 0.16, respectively. We show that the MSTIDs polarization electric field, which is mapped down from the F-region along the near-vertical magnetic field, moderately contributes to the modulation of the Es layer altitude via the E×B drift mechanism.

Disturbances of Ionospheric Total Electron Content during Great and Severe Geomagnetic Storms above Iraq and Surrounding Areas

Several studies have been made to understand the behavior of Total Electron Content (TEC) in the topside of the ionosphere during two types of geomagnetic storms. The aim of this research is to examine the ionospheric disturbances using the TEC parameter during the great and severe geomagnetic storms that occurred during the period (28-30 October 2003). Theexamination was conducted for the region,includingIraq and surrounding areas that cover the arealatitude 27-39oN; longitude 27-54oE). TEC data were obtained fromthe Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), to determine the type of geomagnetic storm, the Disturbance storm time (Dst) index was gathered for the selected days from the website Koyota, Japan WDC.Fromthe results,it wasfound that there was a good relationship between Dst-indexand TEC parameter values. There is a discrepancy in observations recorded about TEC values during the period of geomagnetic storms.There were significant enhancements in the values of TEC during storms; however, there was an anomaly when the storm continued for several hours during the day, there was a highly broad increase in TEC from sunrise to sunset. Moreover, when two types of storms occurred, two peaks or more appeared, and they remained for one event, or even for more than one day. Comparisons between the observed TEC and the predicted values were applied in order to check the validity of the IRI-20 ionospheric model during the storm time above the mid-latitude studiedareas;it found that there is a non-linear correlation between them withi24 hours and three days, so the model wouldneed some modification in the future to be suitable for the Iraq region during storm time.

Near‐Real‐Time Identification of the Source of Ionospheric Disturbances

AbstractThe ionosphere is characterized by a large number of disturbances generated in response to a wide range of phenomena, including natural hazards, space weather and man‐made events. Identification of the origin of ionospheric disturbances (ID), especially in real or near‐real‐time (NRT), is an extremely difficult task, and it is one of the most interesting fundamental scientific questions. In this paper we present, for the first time, an approach for an automatic and NRT‐compatible detection and recognition of the source of ionospheric disturbances in time series of total electron content (TEC) measured by the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) method. The main idea is (a) to analyze main characteristics (such as spatio‐temporal features and frequency content) of ID generated by known sources, and (b) in NRT, to rapidly examine ID's features, and, based on this information, recognize their source. Currently, our database contains TEC data series with response to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, explosions, rocket launches, equatorial plasma bubbles and geomagnetic storms. Our developments are important for the future assessment of natural hazards from the ionosphere, and also for NRT Space Weather nowcast and applications. Also, our work presents important information about the physical properties of ID of different origins.

Impact of Tonga volcanic eruption on the ionosphere based on ground-based GNSS and COSMIC occultation data

The eruption of large volcanoes may potentially disturb the upper atmosphere, causing disturbances in ionospheric plasma and triggering irregular changes in the Total Electron Content (TEC). The GNSS ionospheric inversion method has been used to analyze ionospheric anomalies caused by the volcano, while it was limited to the spatial distribution of ground-based GNSS. The joint observation with space-based GNSS can further improve the spatio-temporal distribution of ionospheric monitoring. The Tonga volcano erupted on January 15th, 2022, is the largest volcanic eruption since the beginning of the 21st century and generated intense acoustic, atmospheric gravity waves and ionospheric disturbance. In this paper, we used the GIM products, ground-based GNSS station data around the volcanic eruption point and COSMIC occultation data to analyze the short-term TEC change. The experiments showed that: the average TEC of GIM grid data on eruption day dropped by 7.5 TECu compared to the last day which was substantially larger than other three days. The TEC extracted from nearby tracking stations was smaller than GIM and the difference was inversely proportional to the distance between the station and the volcanic eruption site. The average daily ionospheric TEC obtained from the nearest TONG station was the biggest, as much as 3.44 TECu lower. The peak electron density of COSMIC occultation data gradually diminished and then recovered with TEC about 7.32 TECu lower than GIM products. The experments showed that there was a good consistency in the TEC obtained from space-based and ground-based GNSS, the Tonga volcano produced a huge TEC change over 10 TECu or even bigger. As a global grid product, GIM underestimated ionospheric changes due to its limited spatial resolution, which needs further improvement.

Morphology and Climatology of Nighttime Periodic Ionospheric TEC Disturbances Associated With MSTIDs Over China

AbstractIn this study, the morphology and climatology of the nighttime periodic disturbances associated with medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) are investigated over the entire China sector from January 2014 to August 2017, using data from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receivers. Firstly, a comparative case analysis of propagation characteristics reveals the complexity and day‐to‐day variations of nighttime MSTID activity. The main statistical findings indicate that these periodic disturbances predominantly occur during the summer months, with a higher occurrence rate during solar minimum. In summer, the disturbances occur more frequently in regions with lower latitudes (20–35°N) and tend to exhibit an extended duration. In the meantime, some disturbances are also detected at much lower latitudes (<20°N), with noticeable longitudinal differences. Additionally, there are two peaks in the geographic distribution of disturbances, located in the sector of 90–100°E and 105–125°E at lower latitudes, respectively. The distinct spatiotemporal evolution patterns of the two peak disturbance regions suggest that their formation mechanisms should be different. The disturbances in the eastern region exhibit similarities with electrified MSTIDs, which are closely related to Perkins instability, whereas the western disturbance region does not display apparent movement, but exhibits a higher occurrence rate and longer durations, which may be attributed to the frequent upward propagation of GWs in the southeastern region of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.

Ionospheric changes immediately before the 2023 February Kahramanmaras earthquakes, Turkey

The East Anatolian Fault in southern Turkey ruptured on 6 February 2023, causing a Mw 7.8 earthquake. Another large earthquake of Mw 7.5 occurred to the north of the first event ∼9 hours later. Here we look for ionospheric precursors immediately before these earthquakes, like those found ∼40 minutes before the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, Japan, by using the total electron content data obtained by global navigation satellite system receivers. Considering that the changes are small, we first inferred the leading times and the intensities of the anomalies using their empirical relationship with Mw from ∼20 past large earthquakes. For the first earthquake, we found that a positive change of TEC trends started ∼23 minutes before the rupture and that the anomaly reached ∼2% of the background. These values were consistent with past events. On the other hand, medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbance activity hampered convincing detection of changes immediately before the second earthquake.

Investigating Ionospheric Disturbances as Potential Seismic Precursors: A Case Study of the 2021 Béjaïa Mw 6.0 Earthquake, in Northeastern Algeria

Investigating Ionospheric Disturbances as Potential Seismic Precursors: A Case Study of the 2021 Béjaïa Mw 6.0 Earthquake, in Northeastern Algeria

Ionospheric Disturbances Observed Over the Peruvian Sector During the Mother's Day Storm (G5‐Level) on 10–12 May 2024

AbstractThis article presents the recent extreme and rare G5‐level geomagnetic storm (Mother's Day Storm) effects on the equatorial and low‐latitude ionosphere observed at the Peruvian sector by the Jicamarca (11.9°S, 76.8°W, magnetic dip 1°N) incoherent scatter radar and associated instruments. This storm was produced by multiple Earth‐directed coronal mass ejections, which generated significant modifications in the Earth's magnetic field, leading to the Sym‐H of ∼−518 nT. On the dayside, due to the strong eastward penetration electric field, vertical plasma drift and equatorial electrojet (EEJ) enhanced for 2–3 hr and remained consistent at values of ∼95 m/s and 260 nT between 1700 and 1900 UT (1200 and 1400 LT). At the same time, vertical E B plasma drift uplifted the equatorial ionosphere, producing the dusk‐side super plasma fountain and transferring electron density to higher latitudes. A huge increase (∼1,325%) in electron density (from 11 to 142 TECu) is observed at low and mid‐latitudes from ∼20°S to 50°S between 2000 and 0400 UT (1500–2300 LT). The strong westward penetration electric field suppressed pre‐reversal enhancement, leading to downward plasma drift (∼−96 m/s) at around 2400 UT (1900 LT). Overnight, vertical plasma drift fluctuated between ±90 m/s, and the combined effect of penetration and disturbance dynamo electric fields caused a significant increase (∼530 km) in ionospheric virtual height. In the main and early recovery phase, consistent short‐ and long‐duration electric field disturbances persisted for approximately 30 hr, with periods of ∼48 and 90 min.

Monitoring of Ionospheric Variability Using the Low lAtitude Long Range Ionospheric raDar (LARID): Capabilities, Advantages and Limitations

AbstractA Low lAtitude long Range Ionospheric raDar (LARID), which was built recently at Dongfang (19.2°N, 108.8°E, magnetic latitude 13.9°), Hainan Is., China, is employed to study the ionospheric variability over a large region. The LARID consists of two high frequency (HF) coherent backscatter radars, looking toward east and west, respectively, with a field‐of‐view covering a wide longitude from Africa to Pacific. Here we report some results by the LARID, with main focus on its capabilities, advantages and limitations in monitoring ionospheric variability. The results show that the LARID can detect various ionospheric variations at low latitudes, including (a) sequentially generated equatorial plasma bubbles over a longitude span of ∼80°, (b) near‐range E region irregularities drifting across more than 1,000 km, (c) ionospheric background information retrieved from ground scatters, (d) traveling ionospheric disturbances, and (e) sporadic E structures reflecting HF radio waves at low elevation angles. It is demonstrated that the LARID provides an important tool for investigating different types of ionospheric variability over a broad region, especially over the Indian Ocean and west Pacific, and will contribute significantly to the regional ionospheric weather forecasting.

Typhoon Early Warning and Monitoring Based on the Comprehensive Characteristics of Oceanic and Ionospheric Echoes from HFSWR: The Case of Typhoon Muifa

As devastating natural disasters, typhoons pose a tremendous threat to human society, making effective typhoon early warning and monitoring crucial. To address this challenge, High Frequency Surface Wave Radar (HFSWR), which can observe oceanic parameters such as typhoon wind fields in real time and even capture the dynamic changes in the ionosphere, has become an effective tool for typhoon monitoring. This paper investigates the interaction mechanisms about Typhoon-Acoustic Gravity Waves (AGWs)-Ionosphere, as well as Typhoon-Ocean Waves for HFSWR, and simulates these interaction processes within HFSWR. Then a typhoon early warning and monitoring scheme for HFSWR has been proposed: In the first stage, the S-shaped ionospheric disturbances observed by HFSWR are utilized as precursor signals for early typhoon warnings. In addition, the second stage involves analyzing changes in first-order oceanic echo spectral peak ratio to pinpoint when the typhoon eye enters the radar detection range, thus initiating the typhoon monitoring phase. Subsequently, the measured data from HFSWR collected during Typhoon “Muifa” (2212) in conjunction with the proposed scheme are evaluated in detail. The results indicate that AGWs generated by typhoons can propagate into non-typhoon areas within the detection range, causing S- shaped ionospheric disturbances and providing approximately 6 h of early warning. At around 8:05 (UTC+8), an increasing trend in the first-order spectral peak ratio was noted, indicating the entry of the typhoon eye into the detection range, which closely aligns with the official typhoon path and marks the transition to the monitoring phase. The proposed scheme is expected to enhance the capability for typhoon early warning and real-time monitoring in specific sea areas and mitigate the risks associated with typhoon-related disasters.

Detection of near- and far-field traveling ionospheric disturbances during Tsunami Events over South Pacific

Large earthquakes and tsunamis often occur around the Pacific Ring of Fire, in which Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) have been observed after these events. Sometimes (depending on seismic source features), TIDs can be observed near the epicenter of the generated earthquake due to the shock-acoustic wave. Additionally, TIDs can be induced by tsunamis due to the generated gravity waves and be detected several thousand kilometers away from the source. TIDs can be detected by analyzing Total Electron Content (TEC), which is calculated, indirectly, using signals from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. The procedure allows for studying the ionospheric disturbance with a good spatial and temporal resolution. This study aims to identify tsunami-induced TIDs in the near- and far-fields following significant events in the Oriental and Occidental South Pacific Ocean. The selection criteria covering 14 tsunamis that occurred between 2010 and 2021 generated by earthquakes with Mw ⩾7.8 and depth less than 50 km. Tsunamis were modeled and compared with the TIDs obtained from TEC deviations. Near-field and far-field TIDs observed in hodochrons differ primarily in the clarity of their association with tsunamis. The simulated tidal gauges show a possible connection with the observed TEC anomalies, behaving similarly but with different delay times, showing some events even hours in advance. This potential correlation between TID parameters and tsunamis propagated in the Pacific Ocean can contribute to understanding the involved mechanisms and facilitate the development of near real-time early warning systems.

Spatio-temporal features of ionospheric disturbances resulting from March 2023 geomagnetic storm: Comparisons with March 2015 St. Patrick’s Day storm

This study explores the ionospheric disturbances induced by the March 2023 geomagnetic storm, offering insights into the complex interplay between space weather events and the Earth’s upper atmosphere. In this regard, data from ionospheric maps (global and regional electron contents) and topside plasma density (provided by the Swarm satellites) have been used. Furthermore, the findings are compared with those of the March 2015 St. Patrick’s Day storm of solar cycle 24, which exhibited notably similar onset conditions. The Global Electron Content (GEC) displays substantial positive surges in the African, Pacific, and American sectors, with a notable enhancement in the American sector on March 24, 2023. During the recovery phase (March-23 storm), negative storm effects are observed across all longitudinal sectors, with greater intensity at low-latitudes compared to mid-latitudes. Moreover, the study highlights discrepancies in positive storm effects when compared to the St. Patrick’s Day storm. During the March-2023, there was no positive storm effect observed in the pacific mid-latitude regions. This longitudinal difference in occurrence of positive storm may be attributed to potential influences from variations in the z-component of the interplanetary magnetic field and energy inputs into the magnetosphere. A super fountain effect is observed exclusively in the American sectors during both storms, exhibiting a noticeable hemispheric asymmetry. The non-uniform planetary distribution of disturbed thermospheric winds likely played a major role in the ionospheric asymmetry in the American region during the 2023 event.

Development of the Chinese Dual Auroral Radar Network and Preliminary Results

AbstractLed by the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, we have built a Chinese dual auroral radar network in northern China, which is called the CN‐DARN. The CN‐DARN consists of three pairs of high‐frequency coherent scattering radar facilities and is one of the key parts of the Chinese Meridian Project Phase II. It has been fully constructed and started trial operations at the end of 2023. The detection range of the radar network extends longitudinally over approximately 9 hr of local times and covers the middle to high latitudes of the entire Asia region above 40. In this paper, we present the basic design of the CN‐DARN and its preliminary observations of ionospheric irregularities, subauroral polarization streams (SAPSs) and traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). We also investigate its contribution to the ionospheric convection pattern of the Northern Hemisphere derived from Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) observations. The results indicate that the CN‐DARN provides excellent measurements and better specifications of flows in the Asian sector, improving our understanding of the global‐scale ionospheric convection pattern in the Northern Hemisphere. These encouraging results lead us to believe that the CN‐DARN will play an important role in studies on the evolution of ionospheric irregularities, the characteristics and evolution of SAPSs, the propagation of TIDs, and global‐scale ionospheric convection dynamics.

Assessing the ionospheric scintillations occurrence on L-band in the southern Mediterranean sector

We assess the ionospheric scintillation occurrence on Global Navigation Satellite Signals (GNSSs) over the Mediterranean sector under the rising phase of the current solar cycle. To the scope, we leverage on a network of three Ionospheric Scintillation Monitoring Receivers (ISMRs), being part of the electronic Space Weather upper atmosphere (eSWua: eswua.ingv.it) system. Such ISMRs are located in Lampedusa Island (Italy, Lat: 35.52°N–Lon: 12.63°E), Chania (Crete, Greece, Lat: 35.52°N, Lon: 24.04°E) and Nicosia (Cyprus, Lat: 35.18°N–Lon: 33.38°E). To our knowledge, this is the first thorough assessment of the scintillation patterns in the Southern Mediterranean sector, aimed at depicting how small-scale irregularities that form in the area can potentially affect the GNSS-based positioning and related application and services. We analyse the period from January 2021 to December 2023, reporting that the bulk of the scintillation occurrence is due to small-scale irregularities forming in the southernmost area of the field of view of the network. Irregularities of such a scale are formed during the evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability featuring the Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPB), which may spill-over in the field of view (FoV) of the receivers, i.e. at low elevation angles in the southernmost azimuthal range. As observations at low elevation angles are subject to multipath mimic weak to moderate scintillation conditions, we focus exclusively on severe amplitude scintillation occurrence (S4 > 0.7) in the azimuthal range 110–250°, w.r.t the FoV of the receivers, subsequently reaching down to the Saharian ionosphere. To further confirm the nature of the detected GNSS scintillation occurrence, we compare the results with the Swarm Level-2 Ionospheric Bubble Index (IBI) evaluated within the same period. In the context of the April 2023 geomagnetic storm, a worst-case scenario is also documented, illustrating the potential impact of ionospheric disturbances associated with EPBs in the Southern Mediterranean area.

Detecting covolcanic ionospheric disturbances using GNSS data and a machine learning algorithm

Many natural and man-made phenomena cause ionospheric responses that can be captured in total electron content data obtained from Global Navigation Satellite System observations. However, the increasing volume of the data poses challenges for its analysis. This study provides an algorithm for detecting covolcanic ionospheric disturbances in total electron content time series based on machine learning. Using the Sarychev Peak eruption (June 11–16, 2009) as an example, we identified and labeled the observational data, proposed data features, and generated datasets. The design and number of features were chosen considering the computational efficiency of the algorithm and its potential applicability in monitoring systems. A machine learning model based on a gradient boosting technique was trained and achieved a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.86 on the test dataset, indicating the high quality. The proposed algorithm detects 96 % of the disturbances in the datasets with a minimal number of false positives (48 out of 200 test files), exhibiting a significant improvement compared with the conventional STA\\LTA algorithm, which detected only 11 % of the disturbances. The validation of the algorithm on data corresponding to the Calbuco (2015) and Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (2022) volcanoes eruptions showed 94 % and 81 % of the disturbances detected, respectively.

The ROC Curve Examination on Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances in FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 IVM Ion Density Triggered by the 15 January 2022 Tonga Volcanic Eruption

AbstractThe receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC), initially developed for signal processing and psychology, are a test for assessing the performance of a binary classification problem at varying threshold values. The ion density (Ni) observed by FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 is used to study traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) triggered by the 15 January 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption. We examine parameters of Ni, differential Ni, and standard deviation Ni (STD_Ni) in January 2022, simulate TID wavefronts traveling with various speeds from 10 to 1,000 m/s, and apply the ROC curve to globally identify the significance of TIDs in STD_Ni triggered by the volcanic eruption. ROC and AUC results show that in addition to TIDs related to tsunami/tropospheric Lamb waves and a series of fast‐moving waves with propagation speeds of 180–350 and 450–600 m/s, respectively, those long‐lasting low‐speeds less than 70 m/s and high‐speeds about 690, 860, and 990 m/s meet 95% statistical significance, which confirms TIDs being detected. These show that the FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 ion density can be used to globally detect various TIDs triggered by the Tonga volcanic eruption. The ROC test results also show a potential use case for detecting other geophysical signals in future applications.

Comprehensive Study of Large‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (LSTIDs) Observed Over Iran

AbstractA dense network of GNSS receivers is employed to study temporal and spatial characteristics of large‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) in Iran. Three geomagnetic storms in 2021 are selected. To determine LSTID propagation, an eighth‐order Butterworth bandpass filter was applied to the data to remove the diurnal variability of the total electron content (TEC). Moreover, two‐dimensional TEC perturbation maps are provided to explore the meridional and zonal structures of the LSTIDs. Analysis of a major storm on November 4 (Kp = 7, Dst = −99 nT) revealed two single LSTIDs and three groups of multiple LSTIDs. The phase velocity and wavelength of LSTIDs in this event varied between 190 and 930 m/s and 1,030–5,022 km, respectively. Southward propagating LSTIDs appeared to be more frequent than northward. The complex propagation of two simultaneous LSTIDs is resolved. A large‐amplitude mixed front showing broadening both latitudinally and meridionally is revealed. No nighttime propagating LSTID is reported. In addition, global differential TEC data are explored to examine the detection of LSTID propagation. The global data validates the timing, direction of propagation, and strength of LSTIDs detected over Iran. The auroral oval extension is consistent with generating and propagating reported LSTIDs. The second storm studied occurred on August 27 (Kp = 4, Dst = −82 nT). This storm exhibited weaker LSTIDs in terms of both observed numbers and amplitude. Finally, the storm case of May 12 (Kp = 7, Dst = −61 nT) was examined. The results underscores the vital role of the Dst index in studying LSTIDs.

Secondary Gravity Wave Propagation in Tropical Thermospheric Region: Role of Varying Kinematic Viscosity

AbstractThe current study has investigated the thunderstorm induced atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) over Indian region based on the perturbation signatures in ionospheric total electron content (TEC) measurement. Robust traveling ionospheric disturbance (TID) signature has been identified along the east side of the thunderstorm affected area. Neutral wind was found to have a favorable impact in this aspect for a certain time duration of the day by modulating the vertical wavelength. The role of temperature was analyzed in terms of kinematic viscosity which is a crucial component, especially over tropical region, for wave dissipation and reflection along its propagation path. Ray tracing algorithm is also applied with varying kinematic viscosity and thermal diffusivity for retrieval of possible ray paths and source location of observed waves. A statistical investigation has been carried out to identify the dissipation altitude of observed waves along the ray paths. It has been found that all waves dissipated at almost a constant altitude for a specific kinematic viscosity and above this altitude vertical wavelength was found to decrease. The ray paths interacted at a common point which was located at about 125 km altitude and was very close to the region of maximum lightning activity. It can also be noted that the observed phase velocities can't be achieved by a wave below the turbopause. It indicates that the observed waves were excited from a secondary source and not directly connected to convective system. The study provides an in‐depth analysis of mesoscale system induced gravity wave propagation and dissipation over tropical region.

Solar Activity Dependence of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbance Amplitudes Using a Rapid‐Run Ionosonde in High Latitudes

AbstractWe investigated the amplitude of medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs, with periods 25–100 min) and their dependence on the solar activity using 16 years data of the rapid run‐ionosonde operating at high latitudes (N, Sodankylä, Finland). A deep learning neural network was applied to ionograms to extract critical frequency of the F2 region (foF2) with a 1 min time resolution. Then, we analyzed the relative amplitude of MSTIDs (i.e., foF2/foF2), which corresponds to the amplitude of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) causing MSTIDs. The amplitude of AGWs propagating upward increases with height due to the decreasing density of the air, and hmF2 varies depending on local time, seasonal and solar activity conditions. To account for this effect, we calculated a corrected MSTID amplitude by normalizing the relative amplitude for the air density at the hmF2. The corrected amplitudes show no clear dependence on F10.7 during winter (0–12 UT), equinox (20‐01 UT) and summer (19‐01 UT), while a positive dependence of corrected amplitudes on F10.7 was observed during winter and equinox, in 14–22 UT and 15–19 UT, respectively. Corresponding to the dependence behaviors of corrected and relative amplitudes, two likely mechanisms of MSTIDs, AGWs from the lower atmosphere and auroral sources, are inferred. Their subsequent roles in the solar activity dependence of MSTID amplitudes were separately discussed, although in reality, the observed dependence is complex and often involves several mechanisms together.

Determination of the Velocity of Ionospheric Disturbances from the Dynamics of Additional U-Shaped Traces on Ionograms

One of the approaches to solving the inverse problem of determining the parameters of ionospheric disturbances is the multiple solution of the “homing-in” problem with the subsequent comparison of the simulation results with the observed data (ionograms). However, this approach is usually associated with significant calculation time costs, which makes it impossible to process large arrays of sounding data. The method described in this paper makes it possible to quickly determine the horizontal velocity of the ionospheric disturbance by descent rate of an additional U-shaped trace moving to lower virtual heights on the vertical ionograms: in order to calculate the velocity, it is proposed to use the results of the ray tracing obtained for the reference background profiles with the disturbances superimposed on them.