The effect of total solar eclipse of October 3, 2005, on the total electron content over Europe

GPS observations from EUREF permanent GPS network were used to observe the response of TEC (Total Electron Content) to the total solar eclipse on October 3, 2005, under quiet geomagnetic conditions of the daytime ionosphere. The effect of the eclipse was detected in diurnal variations and more distinctly in the variations of TEC along individual satellite passes. The trough-like variations with a gradual decrease and followed by an increase of TEC at the time of the eclipse were observed over a large region. The depression of TEC amounted to 3–4 TECU. The maximum depression was observed over all stations located at the maximum path of the solar eclipse. The delay of a minimum level of TEC with respect to the maximum phase of the eclipse was about 20–30 min.     

Equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly (EIA) and comparison with IRI model during descending phase of solar activity (2005–2009)

The ionospheric variability at equatorial and low latitude region is known to be extreme as compared to mid latitude region. In this study the ionospheric total electron content (TEC), is derived by analyzing dual frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) data recorded at two stations separated by 325 km near the Indian equatorial anomaly region, Varanasi (Geog latitude 25°, 16^/ N, longitude 82°, 59^/ E, Geomagnetic latitude 16°, 08^/ N) and Kanpur (Geog latitude 26°, 18^/ N, longitude 80°, 12^/ E, Geomagnetic latitude 17°, 18^/ N). Specifically, we studied monthly, seasonal and annual variations as well as solar and geomagnetic effects on the equatorial ionospheric anomaly (EIA) during the descending phase of solar activity from 2005 to 2009. It is found that the maximum TEC (EIA) near equatorial anomaly crest yield their maximum values during the equinox months and their minimum values during the summer. Using monthly averaged peak magnitude of TEC, a clear semi-annual variation is seen with two maxima occurring in both spring and autumn. Results also showed the presence of winter anomaly or seasonal anomaly in the EIA crest throughout the period 2005–2009 only except during the deep solar minimum year 2007–2008. The correlation analysis indicate that the variation of EIA crest is more affected by solar activity compared to geomagnetic activity with maximum dependence on the solar EUV flux, which is attributed to direct link of EUV flux on the formation of ionosphere and main agent of the ionization. The statistical mean occurrence of EIA crest in TEC during the year from 2005 to 2009 is found to around 12:54 LT hour and at 21.12° N geographic latitude. The crest of EIA shifts towards lower latitudes and the rate of shift of the crest latitude during this period is found to be 0.87° N/per year. The comparison between IRI models with observation during this period has been made and comparison is poor with increasing solar activity with maximum difference during the year 2005.     

Changes in total electron content (TEC) during the annular solar eclipse of 15 January 2010

The solar eclipse of 15 January 2010 was an annular eclipse of the Sun with a maximum magnitude of 0.96 at 1.62°N, 69.29°E. To study the effect of this solar eclipse on the ionosphere the GPS data recorded at three different Indian stations Varanasi (Geographic latitude 25°, 16′N, longitude 82°, 59′E), Hyderabad (Geographic latitude 17°, 20′N, longitude 78°, 30′E) and Bengaluru (Geographic latitude 12°, 58′N, longitude 77°, 33′E) have been used to retrieve ionospheric total electron content (TEC). The ionospheric response to this rare event has been studied in terms of GPS-derived TEC observed at all the three Indian stations. A significant reduction in TEC reflected by all PRNs at all the three stations has been observed. The magnitude of the reduction in VTEC compared to quiet mean VTEC depends on latitude as well as longitude. The amount of reduction observed from different satellites (PRN) is different and depends on the location of the satellite from the solar eclipse path.     

Observations of TEC depletions over Indian low latitudes

Results pertaining to the latitudinal extent of the ionospheric irregularities in terms of TEC depletions have been presented for the two nights namely; 28 October 2004 and 7 February 2005. This study has been carried out using the GPS–TEC over the Indian low latitude stations, at Udaipur, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. This is probably the first report of simultaneous GPS observation of TEC depletions over different latitudes from the Indian sector. The results show that the amplitude of TEC depletions due to the equatorial spread F may vary with time and the location of the observation. The maximum amplitude of the TEC depletion has been found to be about 30 TECU over Hyderabad. The depletions in TEC are found to be field aligned.     

Simulation study on slant-to-vertical deviation in two dimensional TEC mapping over the ionosphere equatorial anomaly

With the rapid increase of GPS/GNSS receivers being deployed and operated in China, real-time GPS data from nearly a thousand sites are available at the National Center for Space Weather, China Meteorology Administration. However, it is challenging to generate a high-quality regional total electron content (TEC) map with the traditional two-dimensional (2-D) retrieval scheme because a large horizontal gradient has been reported over east–south Asia due to the northern equatorial ionization anomaly. We developed an Ionosphere Data Assimilation Analysis System (IDAAS), which is described in this study, using an International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model as the background and applying a Kalman filter for updated observations. The IDAAS can reconstruct a three-dimensional ionosphere with the GPS slant TEC. The inverse slant TEC correlates well with observations both for GPS sites involved in the reconstruction and sites that are not involved. Based on the IDAAS, simulations were performed to investigate the deviation relative to the slant-to-vertical conversion (STV). The results indicate that the relative deviation induced by slant-to-vertical conversion may be significant in certain instances, and the deviation varies from 0% to 40% when the elevation decreases from 90° to 15°, while the relative IDAAS deviation is much smaller and varies from −5% to 15% without an elevation dependence. Compared with ‘true TEC’ map derived from the model, there is large difference in STV TEC map but no obvious discrepancy in IDAAS map. Generally, the IDAAS TEC map is much closer to the “true TEC” than is STV TEC map is.     

Solar flux effects on equatorial ionization anomaly and total electron content over Brazil: Observational results versus IRI representations

The F layer critical frequency (foF2) as measured by Digisondes in the equatorial and low latitude locations in Brazil is analyzed to investigate the seasonal and solar flux controls of the intensity of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) in the equinoctial month of March. The analysis also included the total electron content (TEC) as measured by a GPS receiver operated at the EIA crest location. The foF2 data set covered a period of large solar flux variation from 1996 to 2003, while the GPS TEC data was for a period in 2002–2003 when the solar flux parameter F10.7 underwent large variations, permitting in both cases an examination of the solar flux effects on these parameters. The seasonal variation pattern in TEC shows a maximum in equinoctial months and a minimum in June solstice, with similar variations for foF2. The solar flux dependence of the TEC is a maximum during equinoxes, especially for post-sunset TEC values at times when the latitudinal distribution is controlled by the equatorial evening plasma fountain processes. Significant variations with local time are found in the degree of solar flux dependence for both the TEC and EIA. The EIA intensity shows large dependence on F10.7 during post-sunset to midnight hours. These results are discussed in comparison with their corresponding IRI representations.     

A study on TEC reduction during the tail phase of the 21st June 2020 annular solar eclipse

Ionospheric response during the annular solar eclipse of June 21, 2020, has been examined in terms of the Total Electron Content (TEC) obtained from six Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers positioned in the Chinese-Taiwanese region. We have shown TEC variation from satellites designated by PRNs (Pseudo-Random Noise code) 2, 6, and 19. PRN wise TEC trend was observed to depend upon satellite-pass trajectory to the receiver's location during the eclipse period. A time lag of ~15–30 min is also observed in maximum TEC decrement after the phase of maximum eclipse. Instead of the percentage of eclipse magnitude, a reduction in TEC is seen more for the station for which the orbital track of respective satellites was in closer view relative to receivers for more hours of eclipse window. Additionally, the eclipse day diurnal variations are compared with the pre-eclipse day TEC trend, and observed results show a clear decrease in TEC values at all chosen stations after the eclipse onset then reached the lowest value a few minutes afterward the maximum eclipse phase.     

Variability study of the crest-to-trough TEC ratio of the equatorial ionization anomaly around 120°E longitude

In this paper, latitudinal profiles of the vertical total electron content (TEC) deduced from the dual-frequency GPS measurements obtained at ground stations around 120°E longitude were used to study the variability of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). The present study mainly focuses on the analysis of the crest-to-trough TEC ratio (TEC-CTR) which is an important parameter representing the strength of EIA. Data used for the present study covered the time period from 01 January, 1998 to 31 December, 2004. An empirical orthogonal function analysis method is used to obtain the main features of the TEC-CTR’s diurnal and seasonal variations as well as its solar activity level dependency. Our results showed that: (1) The diurnal variation pattern of the TEC-CTR at 120°E longitude is characterized by two remarkable peaks, one occurring in the post-noon hours around 13–14 LT, and the other occurring in the post-sunset hours around 20–21 LT, and the post-sunset peak has a much higher value than the post-noon one. (2) Both for the north and south crests, the TEC-CTR at 120°E longitude showed a semi-annual variation with maximum peak values occurring in the equinoctial months. (3) TEC-CTR for the north crest has lower values in summer than in winter, whereas TEC-CTR for the south crest does not show this ‘winter anomaly’ effect. In other words, TEC-CTR for both the north and south crests has higher values in the northern hemispheric winter than in the northern hemispheric summer. (4) TEC-CTR in the daytime post-noon hours (12–14 LT) does not vary much with the solar activity, however, TEC-CTR in the post-sunset hours (19–21 LT) shows a clear dependence on the solar activity, its values increasing with solar activity.     

On the uncertainties in the measurement of absolute (true) TEC over Indian equatorial and low latitude sectors

The Indian sector encompasses the equatorial and low latitude regions where the ionosphere is highly dynamic and is characterized by the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) resulting in large latitudinal electron density gradients causing errors and uncertainties in the estimation of range delays in satellite based navigation systems. The diurnal and seasonal variations of standard deviations in the TEC data measured during the low sunspot period 2004–2005 at 10 different Indian stations located from equator to the anomaly crest region and beyond are examined and presented. The day-to-day variability in TEC is found to be lowest at the equatorial station and increases with latitude up to the crest region of EIA and decreases beyond.     

Storm time spatial variations in TEC during moderate geomagnetic storms in extremely low solar activity conditions (2007–2009) over Indian region

The total electron content (TEC) measurements from a network of GPS receivers were analyzed to investigate the storm time spatial response of ionosphere over the Indian longitude sector. The GPS receivers from the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) network which are uniquely located around the ∼77°E longitude are used in the present study so as to get the complete latitudinal coverage from the magnetic equator to low mid-latitude region. We have selected the most intense storms but of moderate intensity (−100 nT < Dst < −50 nT) which occurred during the unusually extremely low solar activity conditions in 2007–2009. Though the storms are of moderate intensity, their effects on equatorial to low mid-latitude ionosphere are found to be very severe as TEC deviations are more than 100% during all the storms studied. Interesting results in terms of spatial distribution of positive/negative effects during the main/early recovery phase of storms are noticed. The maximum effect was observed at crest region during two storms whereas another two storms had maximum effect near the low mid-latitude region. The associated mechanisms like equatorial electrodynamics and neutral dynamics are segregated and explained using the TIMED/GUVI and EEJ data during these storms. The TEC maps are generated to investigate the storm time development/inhibition of equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA).     

Dayside ionospheric uplift during strong geomagnetic storms as detected by the CHAMP,SAC-C,TOPEX and Jason-1 satellites

Ionosphere response to severe geomagnetic storms that occurred in 2001–2003 was analyzed using data of global ionosphere maps (GIM), altimeter data from the Jason-1 and TOPEX satellites, and data of GPS receivers on-board CHAMP and SAC-C satellites. This allowed us to study in detail ionosphere redistribution due to geomagnetic storms, dayside ionospheric uplift and overall dayside TEC increase. It is shown that after the interplanetary magnetic field turns southward and intensifies, the crests of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) travel poleward and the TEC value within the EIA area increases significantly (up to ∼50%). GPS data from the SAC-C satellite show that during the main phase of geomagnetic storms TEC values above the altitude of 715 km are 2–3 times higher than during undisturbed conditions. These effects of dayside ionospheric uplift occur owing to the “super-fountain effect” and last few hours while the enhanced interplanetary electric field impinged on the magnetopause.     

Variation of ionospheric total electron content in Indian low latitude region of the equatorial anomaly during May 2007–April 2008

The ionospheric total electron content (TEC), derived by analyzing dual frequency signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) recorded near the Indian equatorial anomaly region, Varanasi (geomagnetic latitude 14°, 55′N, geomagnetic longitude 154°E) is studied. Specifically, we studied monthly, seasonal and annual variations as well as solar and geomagnetic effects on the equatorial ionospheric anomaly (EIA) during the solar minimum period from May 2007 to April 2008. It is found that the daily maximum TEC near equatorial anomaly crest yield their maximum values during the equinox months and their minimum values during the summer. Using monthly averaged peak magnitude of TEC, a clear semiannual variation is seen with two maxima occurring in both spring and autumn. Statistical studies indicate that the variation of EIA crest in TEC is poorly correlated with Dst-index (r = −0.03) but correlated well with Kp-index (r = 0.82). The EIA crest in TEC is found to be more developed around 12:30 LT.     

Characterization of GPS-TEC over African equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) region during 2009–2016

This study characterizes total electron content (TEC) measured by Global Positioning System (GPS) over African equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) region for 2009–2016 period during both quiet geomagnetic conditions (Kp?≤?1) and normal conditions (1?>?Kp?≤?4). GPS-TEC data from four equatorial/low-latitude stations, namely, Addis Ababa (ADIS: 9.04°N, 38.77°E, mag. lat: 0.2°N) [Ethiopia]; Yamoussoukro (YKRO: 6.87°N, 5.24°W, mag. lat: 2.6°S) [Ivory Coast]; Malindi (MAL2; 3.00°S, 40.19°E, mag. lat: 12.4°S) [Kenya] and Libreville (NKLG; 0.35°N, 9.67°W, mag. lat: 13.5°S) [Gabon] were used for this study. Interesting features like noontime TEC bite-out, winter anomaly during the ascending and maximum phases of solar cycle 24, diurnal and seasonal variations with solar activity have been observed and investigated in this study. The day-to-day variations exhibited ionospheric TEC asymmetry on an annual scale. TEC observed at equatorial stations (EIA-trough) and EIA-crest reach maximum values between ～1300–1600 LT and ～1300–1600 LT, respectively. About 76% of the high TEC values were recorded in equinoctial months while the June solstice predominantly exhibited low TEC values. Yearly, the estimated TEC values increases or decreases with solar activity, with 2014 having the highest TEC value. Solar activity dependence of TEC within the EIA zone reveals that both F10.7?cm index and EUV flux (24–36?nm) gives a stronger correlation with TEC than Sunspot Number (SSN). A slightly higher degree of dependence is on EUV flux with the mean highest correlation coefficient (R) value of 0.70, 0.83, 0.82 and 0.88 for quiet geomagnetic conditions (Kp?≤?1) at stations ADIS, MAL2, NKLG, and YKRO, respectively. The correlation results for the entire period consequently reveals that SSN and solar flux F10.7?cm index might not be an ideal index as a proxy for EUV flux as well as to measure the variability of TEC strength within the EIA zone. The estimated TEC along the EIA crest (MAL2 and NKLG) exhibited double-hump maximum, as well as post-sunset peaks (night time enhancement of TEC) between ～2100 and 2300 LT. EIA formation was prominent during evening/post-noon hours.     

2009年7月22日日全食期间电离层总电子含量变化研究

利用中国区域内五个GPS台站(一个台站处于日全食区域、四个台站处于日偏食区域)观测数据, 研究2009年7月22日日全食期间电离层总电子含量(TEC)的变化, 结果表明, 日全食期间, 电离层TEC值经历了下降和恢复的过程, 最小TEC相对于最大食偏的时间延迟约为1～10min; 台站测得最小TEC的星下点(IPP)越靠近日全食带TEC下降量越大, 在日食期间武汉站(114.35°E, 30.53°N) TEC相对于各参考日期的TEC, 其平均下降量最大, 达到4.58TECU.      

Ionospheric responses to the 21 August 2017 great American solar eclipse – A multi-instrument study

Herein, we report on the ionospheric responses to a total solar eclipse that occurred on 21 August 2017 over the US region. Ground-based GPS total electron content (TEC) data along with ground-based measurements (Millstone Hill Observatory (MHO) and digital ionosondes) and space-based measurements (COSMIC radio occultation (RO) technique) allowed us to identify eclipse-associated ionospheric responses. TEC data at ~20°, ~30°, and ~40°N latitudes from the west to east longitudes show not only considerable depression but also wave-like characteristics in TEC both in the path of totality and away from it, exclusively on the day of eclipse. Interestingly, the observed depressions are associated with lesser (higher) magnitudes at stations over which the solar obscuration percentage was meager (significant), a clear indication of bow-wave-like features. The MHO observes a 30% reduction in F₂-layer electron densities between 180 and 220 km on eclipse day. Ionosonde-scaled parameters over Boulder (40.4°N, 100°E) and Austin (30.4°N, 94.4°E) show a significant decrease in critical frequencies while an altitude elevation is seen in the virtual heights of the F-layer only during the eclipse day and that decreases are associated with wave-like signatures, which could be attributed to eclipse-generated waves. The estimated vertical electron density profile from the COSMIC RO-based technique shows a maximum depletion of 40%. Relatively intense and moderate depths of TEC depression, considerable reductions in the F₂-layer electron densities measured by the MHO and COSMIC RO-measured densities at the F₂-layer peak, and elevations in virtual heights and reduction in the critical frequencies measured by ionosondes during the eclipse day could be due to the eclipse-induced dynamical effects such as gravity waves (GWs) and their associated electro-dynamical effects (modification of ionospheric electric fields due to GWs).     

Ionospheric total electron content response to annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020

The effects of physical events on the ionosphere structure is an important field of study, especially for navigation and radio communication. The paper presents the spatio-temporal ionospheric TEC response to the recent annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020, which spans across two continents, Africa and Asia, and 14 countries. This eclipse took place on the same day as the June Solstice. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based TEC data of the Global Ionosphere Maps (GIMs), 9 International GNSS Service (IGS) stations and FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 (F7/C2) were utilized to analyze TEC response during the eclipse. The phases of the TEC time series were determined by taking the difference of the observed TEC values on eclipse day from the previous 5-day median TEC values. The results showed clear depletions in the TEC time series on June 21. These decreases were between 1 and 9 TECU (15–60%) depending on the location of IGS stations. The depletions are relatively higher at the stations close to the path of annular eclipse than those farther away. Furthermore, a reduction of about ?10 TECU in the form of an equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) was observed in GIMs at ~20° away from the equator towards northpole, between 08:00–11:00 UT where its maximum phase is located in southeast Japan. Additionally, an overall depletion of ~10% was observed in F7/C2 derived TEC at an altitude of 240 km (hmF2) in all regions affected by the solar eclipse, whereas, significant TEC fluctuations between the altitudes of 100 km ? 140 km were analyzed using the Savitzky-Golay smoothing filter. To prove TEC depletions are not caused by space weather, the variation of the sunspot number (SSN), solar wind (V_SW), disturbance storm-time (Dst), and Kp indices were investigated from 16th to 22nd June. The quiet space weather before and during the solar eclipse proved that the observed depletions in the TEC time series and profiles were caused by the annular solar eclipse.     

An investigation of ionospheric disturbances over South Africa during the magnetic storm on 15 May 2005

The effects of the 15 May 2005 severe geomagnetic storm on the South African ionosphere are studied using ground-based and satellite observations. Ionospheric disturbances have less frequently been investigated over mid-latitude regions. Recently, a number of studies investigated their evolution and generation over these regions. This paper reports on the first investigation of travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) over mid-latitude South Africa. Using global positioning system (GPS)-derived total electron content (TEC) variations from the South African network of dual frequency GPS receivers, we were able to examine the effects of the disturbance on the TEC. During this storm, two TEC enhancements were observed at low- and mid-latitudes: the first enhancement was observed between 30–45°S geomagnetic latitudes associated with equatorward neutral winds and the passage of a TID, while the second TEC enhancement is associated with a second TID. In addition, the F-region critical frequency (foF2) values observed at two ionosonde stations show response features that differ from those of the TEC during the disturbance period. The dissimilarity between the TEC and the foF2 suggests that two competing drivers may have existed, i.e., the westward electric field and equatorward neutral wind effects.     

A preliminary study of the single crest phenomenon in total electron content (TEC) in the equatorial anomaly region around 120°E longitude between 1999 and 2012

The diurnal variations in total electron content (TEC) in the equatorial ionisation anomaly (EIA) region are not always represented by two crests on both sides of the magnetic equator. Sometimes, only an obvious single crest is evident at equatorial and low latitudes. In this paper, we focus on analysis of the morphological features of the single crest phenomenon in TEC around 120°E longitude during geomagnetic quiet days (Kp < 4₋). The variations in TEC are also compared with morphological parameters (foF2 and hmF2) derived from the International Reference Ionosphere extended to Plasmasphere (IRI–Plas) model. Our results show that the single crest phenomenon occurs mainly on days with extremely low solar activity, while the corresponding F2 layer critical frequency showed obvious asymmetry, or even only a single peak.     

Comparison of observed ionospheric vertical TEC over the sea in Indian region with IRI-2016 model

The vertical ionospheric TEC values obtained from GAGAN grid based ionospheric delay correction values over the sea in the Indian equatorial region have been compared with the corresponding values derived from the International Reference Ionosphere model, IRI-2016. The objective of this work is to study the deviation of the vertical TEC derived from the IRI model from ground truths over the sea for different conditions. This will serve the basic intention of assessing the candidature of the IRI model as an alternative ionospheric correction model in navigation receivers in terms of accuracy. We have chosen different solar activity periods, seasons, geomagnetic conditions, locations etc. for our comparison and analysis. The TEC values by the IRI-2016 were compared with the actual measured values for the given conditions and errors were obtained. The measured vertical TEC values at the ionospheric grid points were derived from the GAGAN broadcast ionospheric delay data and used as reference. The IRI model with standard internal functions was used in estimating the TEC at the same ionospheric grid points. The errors in the model derived values are statistically analysed. Broadly, the results show that, for the Indian sector over the sea, the IRI model performs better on quiet days in off equatorial regions, particularly in the northern region. The overall performance degrades for other conditions with the model generally underestimating the true TEC values and most severely in the equatorial region. The performance is worst in this region for the disturbed days of the equinoctial period. The comparison study is also done with the TEC data measured directly by dual frequency GPS receivers. The results were found to be in general agreement with those obtained by comparing the model with GAGAN broadcast data as reference. This study will be useful in considering the IRI-2016 model for real time estimates of TEC as an alternative to the current parametric model in a satellite navigation receiver in absence of other options.     

GPS scintillation and TEC gradients at equatorial latitudes in April 2006

We use observations of ionospheric scintillation at equatorial latitudes from two GPS receivers specially modified for recording, at a sampling rate of 50 Hz, the phase and the amplitude of the L1 signal and the Total Electron Content (TEC) from L1 and L2. The receivers, called GISTM (GPS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC Monitor), are located in Vietnam (Hue, 16.4°N, 107.6°E; Hoc Mon, 10.9°N, 106.6°E). These experimental observations are analysed together with the tomographic reconstruction of the ionosphere produced by the Multi-Instrument Data Analysis System (MIDAS) for investigating the moderate geomagnetic storm which occurred on early April 2006, under low solar activity. The synergic adoption of the ionospheric imaging and of the GISTM measurements supports the identification of the scale-sizes of the ionospheric irregularities causing scintillations and helps the interpretation of the physical mechanisms generating or inhibiting the appearance of the equatorial F layer irregularities. In particular, our study attributes to the turning of the IMF (Interplanetary Magnetic Field) between northward and southward direction an important role in the inhibition of the generation of spread F irregularities resulting in a lack of scintillation enhancement in the post-sunset hours.