夏季强对流活动对东亚低纬电离层不规则体影响的事件分析

利用海南台站和东南亚地区的多种地基和天基观测手段,对2014年7月28日夜间观测到的东亚低纬F区不规则体事件的时空变化及其物理过程进行分析。结果表明,海南台站观测到了罕见的长时间持续的F区电离层不规则体,不同手段观测到的电离层不规则体存在明显的形态差异。不同台站观测到的电离层不规则体活动存在明显的差异。海南台站经度区南北异常峰附近的TEC起伏活动在日落后至午夜附近明显增强,在午夜后明显减弱。C/NOFS卫星轨迹午夜后逐渐接近于磁赤道,且处于较低高度上,几乎总会观测到弱等离子体扰动/泡的发生,与该区域地基观测的弱电离层不规则体活动存在明显的联系。SWARM卫星在黎明海南台站附近经度区仍观测到较强的赤道异常双峰结构,且西侧异常峰区附近仍存在明显的等离子体密度耗空/泡结构。海南台站西侧磁赤道区附近（中南半岛）强对流活动（MCC）激发的重力波种子扰动对东亚低纬区等离子体泡及准周期结构的产生发挥了重要作用。      

海南VHF雷达观测到的低纬F区电离层场向不规则体事件分析

中国海南VHF雷达具有快速扫描观测及对电离层不规则体进行二维成像的能力.采用时间序列上的连续观测,可以获得场向不规则体发展变化的一系列二维空间图像.本文对海南VHF雷达2011年10月27日夜间观测到的电离层不规则体事件进行分析,主要结果表明,本次观测到的不规则体可分为三个阶段.在初步形成阶段,不规则体开始出现时非常微弱,发展变化很慢,主要表现为向上可扩展,持续时间约14min.在扩大增强阶段,不规则体快速向上并向两侧扩展,持续时间约14min;不规则体强度前期迅速增大,后期略有减弱,空间尺度达200km以上.在东漂离开阶段,不规则体强度进一步减弱,扩展面积达到最大,主要表现为东向漂移,持续时间近30min.这次观测首次给出了海南地区上空电离层不规则体的形成和发展过程.结合其他台站的观测进行对比分析发现,海南观测到的雷达羽与其他地区的雷达羽具有明显不同,海南地区的雷达羽特性及其对应的物理过程有待进一步观测研究.      

海南地区电离层闪烁监测及初步统计分析

为开展赤道区的电离层闪烁形态特性及相关物理过程的研究,空间中心海南台站建立了一套GPS电离层闪烁监测系统．该系统是利用Plessey GPS Builder-2系统开发的,对软件的源码进行了修改,使其能以高采样率(50／s)同时并行记录11个通道GPS信号强度数据．对2003年7—12月间L-波段电离层闪烁事件的初步统计分析结果表明,电离层闪烁主要发生在日落后到午夜附近,其中9—11月较7—8月闪烁发生和结束的时间明显提前;电离层闪烁发生的频率和强度在9—11月较其他月份明显增强,其中10月达到最大;电离层闪烁的逐日变化具有很强的随机性,闪烁的发生在秋分附近9月底到10月中旬的磁静日期间达到最大;太阳和地磁活动的增强通常会抑制电离层闪烁的发生,这种情形在秋分附近尤为明显．     

北驼峰区电离层GPS卫星闪烁事件时空特征及对通信的影响

基于子午工程北大深圳站（22.59°N,113.97°E）电离层GPS双频接收机在2011年1月1日至2017年12月31日连续7年的长时间序列闪烁和TEC观测数据,分析不同太阳活条件下华南赤道异常北驼峰区观测到的GPS卫星L波段电离层闪烁事件时空分布特征及其对通信的影响.结果表明:GPS闪烁事件几乎都发生在夜间,且主要发生在春秋分月份;在不同太阳活动条件下,夜间GPS闪烁事件都主要发生在北驼峰区域靠近磁赤道的一侧,且GPS闪烁事件存在明显的东-西侧天区不对称性,即在台站西侧天区发生的闪烁事件明显偏多;在不同太阳活动条件下,弱闪烁事件伴随的TEC耗尽和卫星失锁事件比例相对较低,强闪烁事件则大部分都伴随着TEC耗尽和卫星失锁事件的发生.      

中低纬电离层不同季节地磁暴响应的事例分析

利用中国中低纬台站漠河（53.5°N，122.3°E）、北京（40.3°N，116.2°E）、武汉（30.5°N，114.2°E）和三亚（18.3°N，109.6°E）的电离层观测数据，对比分析了4个台站电离层参数在2015年不同季节4个地磁扰动事件期间的变化特征.结果表明，4个磁暴事件期间电离层的响应特征并不完全一致，有着明显的季节特征，春季、夏季和秋季电离层以负相扰动为主，冬季以正相扰动为主.分析发现，中性成分O/N₂的降低与电离层负相扰动有关，但三亚地区的负相扰动还与扰动发电机电场相关.正相扰动的机制在不同事件中并不相同，穿透电场可能是引起春季磁暴事件期间电离层短时正暴效应的原因，而冬季长时间的正暴效应则是扰动电场和中性风共同作用的结果.      

用GPS 观测研究电离层TEC 水平梯度

双频GPS 用户能自动修正电离层总电子含量(TEC) 引起的延时误差, 但是对于电离层中的不规则体造成的信号闪烁而引起的误差则不能消除. 即使是差分GPS 系统, 电离层误差仍然是其主要的误差源, 其中电离层TEC 梯度将会影响到系统的定位精度和性能. 本文用GPS 方法研究了电离层TEC 的水平梯度问题, 用处于赤道异常区NTUS 台站的GPS 观测数据作了具体计算. 结果表明, 在日落以后到子夜前后电离层垂直TEC 出现了大的涨落, 电离层中的不规则体导致L 波段信号强的闪烁, 同时还伴随着大而快速变化的电离层~TEC 水平梯度. 对比发现, ROTI指数、电离层TEC 水平梯度和电离层垂直TEC 三者之间有很好的对应关系, 它们的变化特征均由电离层中的不规则体引起. 我们认为研究电离层闪烁, 特别是在缺乏S4指数时, 电离层TEC 梯度也可以作为一个重要的可选参数.      

基于GPS的广州地区电离层不规则体纬向漂移速度计算分析

利用广州站组建的两台短间距GPS电离层闪烁监测仪的观测数据, 分别对GPS卫星信号强度用功率谱和短间距台链互相关性两种方法计算了3次闪烁事件电离层不规则体的漂移速度. 分析结果表明, 同一不规则体会引起两台站闪烁事件的同时发生, 两种方法测量不规则体漂移速度通常在50～160m/s之间, 平均大小均在120m/s左右, 且纬向漂移速度在闪烁初期起伏较明显, 速度随闪烁时间有下降的趋势, 夜间纬向漂移方向由西向东, 广州地区漂移速度特性符合低纬其他地区不规则体漂移速度特征, 两种计算方法合理有效.      

磁暴期间中国中低纬电离层不规则体与扰动分析

2017年9月8日发生了一次强磁暴，Kp指数最大值达到8.利用区域电离层格网模型（Regional Ionosphere Map，RIM）和区域ROTI（Rate of TEC Index）地图，分析了磁暴期间中国及其周边地区电离层TEC扰动特征和低纬地区电离层不规则体的产生与发展情况，同时利用不同纬度IGS（International GNSS Service）测站BJFS（39.6°N，115.9°E），JFNG（30.5°N，114.5°E）和HKWS（22.4°N，114.3°E）的GPS双频观测值，获取各测站的ROTI和DROT（Standard Deviation of Differential ROT）指数变化趋势.结果表明:此次磁暴发生期间电离层扰动先以正相扰动为主，主要发生在中低纬区域，dTEC（differential TEC）最大值达到14.9TECU，随后电离层正相扰动逐渐衰减，在低纬区域发生电离层负相扰动，dTEC最小值达到-7.2TECU；在12:30UT-13:30UT时段，中国南部低纬地区发生明显的电离层不规则体事件；相比BJFS和JFNG两个测站，位于低纬的HKWS测站的ROTI和DROT指数变化更为剧烈，这表明电离层不规则体结构存在纬度差异.      

低纬(海南)电离层等离子体漂移对地磁活动的响应

利用2003-2016年期间子午工程海南站（19.5°N,109.1°E）数字测高仪观测到的电离层等离子体漂移数据,分析了高低两种太阳活动条件下纬向和垂直向漂移对近磁静、中等磁扰和强磁扰三种地磁活动水平的响应特性.结果表明:日间纬向漂移各季节均以西向为主,随地磁活动无明显变化,白天日出附近和夜间漂移在各季节均以东向为主,随地磁活动增强而减弱,减弱程度在分季最大,在夏季最小;日间垂直漂移在零值附近变化,且不受地磁活动和季节影响,日落附近漂移仅在分季受到地磁活动的抑制,午夜前垂直漂移在分季受到抑制,在冬季因强磁扰而反向,夏季无明显规律,子夜至日出后垂直漂移在各季节随地磁活动增强而减小.与赤道区Jicamarca相比,两地漂移对地磁活动的响应相近,但在幅度和相位上存在差异,这可能是两地区的地理位置、背景电场和风场结构等不同造成的.      

华南地区电离层闪烁与TEC耗空的时间和空间分布统计分析

利用位于赤道异常区的深圳站（22.59°N，113.97°E）2011年1月至2012年12月及2015年1月至2015年12月监测到的GPS-TEC数据，统计分析华南地区电离层闪烁与TEC耗空同时出现、电离层闪烁单独出现和TEC耗空单独出现3种现象的时间和空间分布特性.结果表明:这3种现象均主要发生在春秋季节；闪烁与TEC耗空同时出现、闪烁单独出现和TEC耗空单独出现分别主要发生在纬度为19°-23°N，21°-24°N和24°-26°N的空间区域.探测到闪烁和TEC耗空同时出现、闪烁单独出现和TEC耗空单独出现的时间分别主要分布在20:00LT-22:00LT，21:00LT-23:00LT和22:30LT-23:30LT.闪烁与TEC耗空同时出现、闪烁单独出现和TEC耗空单独出现3种现象的时间和空间分布特性对应了华南地区不规则体和赤道等离子体泡（EPBs）从产生到消失的演变过程.      

Spread-F occurrence during geomagnetic storms near the southern crest of the EIA in Argentina

This work presents, for the first time, the analysis of the occurrence of ionospheric irregularities during geomagnetic storms at Tucumán, Argentina, a low latitude station in the Southern American longitudinal sector (26.9°S, 294.6°E; magnetic latitude 15.5°S) near the southern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). Three geomagnetic storms occurred on May 27, 2017 (a month of low occurrence rates of spread-F), October 12, 2016 (a month of transition from low to high occurrence rates of spread-F) and November 7, 2017 (a month of high occurrence rates of spread-F) are analyzed using Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and ionosondes. The rate of change of total electron content (TEC) Index (ROTI), GPS Ionospheric L-band scintillation, the virtual height of the F-layer bottom side (h'F) and the critical frequency of the F2 layer (foF2) are considered. Furthermore, each ionogram is manually examined for the presence of spread-F signatures.The results show that, for the three events studied, geomagnetic activity creates favorable conditions for the initiation of ionospheric irregularities, manifested by ionogram spread-F and TEC fluctuation. Post-midnight irregularities may have occurred due to the presence of eastward disturbance dynamo electric fields (DDEF). For the May storm, an eastward over-shielding prompt penetration electric field, (PPEF) is also acting. A possibility is that the PPEF is added to the DDEF and produces the uplifting of the F region that helps trigger the irregularities. Finally, during October and November, strong GPS L band scintillation is observed associated with strong range spread-F (SSF), that is, irregularities extending from the bottom-side to the topside of the F region.     

Response of Hainan GPS ionospheric scintillations to the different strong magnetic storm conditions

Using the GPS ionospheric scintillation data at Hainan station (19.5°N, 109.1°E) in the eastern Asia equatorial regions and relevant ionospheric and geomagnetic data from July 2003 to June 2005, we investigate the response of L-band ionospheric scintillation activity over this region to different strong magnetic storm conditions (Dst < −100 nT) during the descending phase of the solar cycle. These strong storms and corresponding scintillations mainly took place in winter and summer seasons. When the main phase developed rapidly and reached the maximum near 20–21 LT (LT = UT + 8) after sunset, scintillations might occur in the following recovery phase. When the main phase maximum occurred shortly after midnight near 01–02 LT, following the strong scintillations in the pre-midnight main phase, scintillations might also occur in the post-midnight recovery phase. When the main phase maximum took place after 03 LT to the early morning hours no any scintillation could be observed in the latter of the night. Moreover, when the main phase maximum occurred during the daytime hours, scintillations could also hardly be observed in the following nighttime recovery phase, which might last until the end of recovery phase. Occasionally, scintillations also took place in the initial phase of the storm. During those scintillations associated with the nighttime magnetic storms, the height of F layer base (h’F) was evidently increased. However, the increase of F layer base height does not always cause the occurrence of scintillations, which indicates the complex interaction of various disturbance processes in ionosphere and thermosphere systems during the storms.     

L-band nighttime scintillations at the northern edge of the EIA along 95°E during the ascending half of the solar cycle 24

The characteristics of nighttime ionospheric scintillations measured at the L-band frequency of 1.575 GHz over Dibrugarh (27.5°N, 95°E, MLAT ～ 17°N, 43° dip) during the ascending half of the solar cycle 24 from 2010 to 2014 have been investigated and the results are presented in this paper. The measurement location is within or outside the zone of influence of the equatorial ionization anomaly depending on solar and geomagnetic activity. Maximum scintillation is observed in the equinoxes irrespective of solar activity with clear asymmetry between March and September. The occurrence frequency in the solstices shifts from minimum in the June solstice in low solar activity to a minimum in the December solstice in high solar activity years. A significant positive correlation of occurrence of scintillations in the June solstice with solar activity has been observed. However, earlier reports from the Indian zone (～75°E) indicate negative or no correlation of scintillation in June solstice with solar activity. Scintillations activity/occurrence in solstices indicates a clear positive correlation with Es recorded simultaneously by a collocated Ionosonde. In equinoxes, maximum scintillations occur in the pre-midnight hours while in solstices the occurrence frequency peaks just after sunset. The incidence of strong scintillations (S₄ ≥ 0.4) increases with increase in solar activity. Strong (S₄ ≥ 0.4) ionospheric scintillations accompanied by TEC depletions in the pre-midnight period is attributed to equatorial irregularities whereas the dusk period scintillations are related to the sporadic-E activity. Present results thus indicate that the current location at the northern edge of the EIA behaves as low as well as mid-latitude location.     

Ionospheric scintillations at Guilin detected by GPS ground-based and radio occultation observations

The occurrence of ionospheric scintillations with S4 ? 0.2 was studied using GPS measurements at Guilin, China (25.29°N, 110.33°E; geomagnetic: 15.04°N, 181.98°E), a station located near the northern crest of the equatorial anomaly. The results are presented for data collected from January 2009 to March 2010. The results show that nighttime amplitude scintillations only took place in February and March of the considered years, while daytime amplitude scintillations occurred in August and December of 2009. Nighttime amplitude scintillations, observed in the south of Guilin, always occurred with phase scintillations, TEC (Total Electron Content) depletions, and ROT (Rate Of change of TEC) fluctuations. However, TEC depletions and ROT fluctuations were weak during daytime amplitude scintillations, and daytime amplitude scintillations always took place simultaneously for most of the GPS satellites which appeared over Guilin in different azimuth directions. Ground-based GPS scintillation/TEC observations recorded at Guilin and signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) measurements obtained from GPS-COSMIC radio occultation indicate that nighttime and daytime scintillations are very likely caused by ionospheric F region irregularities and sporadic E, respectively. Moreover, strong daytime amplitude scintillations may be associated with the plasma density enhancements in ionospheric E region caused by the Perseid and Geminid meteor shower activities.     

A study of L band scintillations during the initial phase of rising solar activity at an Indian low latitude station

The ionospheric scintillation and TEC (Total Electron Content) variations are studied using GPS (Global Positioning System) measurements at an Indian low latitude station Surat (21.16°N, 72.78°E; Geomagnetic: 12.90°N, 147.35°E), situated near the northern crest of the equatorial anomaly region. The results are presented for data collected during the initial phase of current rising solar activity (low to moderate solar activity) period between January 2009 and December 2011. The results show that within a total number of 656 night-time scintillation events, 340 events are observed with TEC depletions, Rate of change of TEC (ROT) fluctuations and enhancement of Rate of change of TEC Index (ROTI). A comparison of night-time scintillation events from the considered period reveal strong correlation amongst the duration of scintillation activity in S₄ index_, TEC depletion, ROT fluctuations and ROTI enhancement in the year 2011, followed by the year 2010 and least in 2009. The statistical analyses of scintillation activity with enhancement of ROTI also show that about 70–96% scintillation activity took place in equinox and winter months. Moreover, from a nocturnal variation in occurrence of scintillation with (S₄ ? 0.2) and enhancement of ROTI with (ROTI ? 0.5), a general trend of higher occurrence in pre-midnight hours of equinox and winter seasons is observed in both indices during the year 2011 and 2010, while no significant trend is observed in the year 2009. The results suggest the presence of F-region ionospheric irregularities with scale sizes of few kilometers and few hundred meters over Surat and are found to be influenced by solar and magnetic activity.     

Using GPS-SCINDA observations to study the correlation between scintillation,total electron content enhancement and depletions over the Kenyan region

This paper presents the first results of total electron content (TEC) depletions and enhancement associated with ionospheric irregularities in the low latitude region over Kenya. At the low latitude ionosphere the diurnal behavior of scintillation is driven by the formation of large scale equatorial depletions which are formed by post-sunset plasma instabilities via the Rayleigh–Taylor instability near the magnetic equator. Data from the GPS scintillation receiver (GPS-SCINDA) located at the University of Nairobi (36.8°E, 1.27°S) for March 2011 was used in this study. The TEC depletions have been detected from satellite passes along the line of sight of the signal and the detected depletions have good correspondence with the occurrence of scintillation patches. TEC enhancement has been observed and is not correlated with increases in S₄ index and consecutive enhancements and depletions in TEC have also been observed which results into scintillation patches related to TEC depletions. The TEC depletions have been interpreted as plasma irregularities and inhomogeneities in the F region caused by plasma instabilities, while TEC enhancement have been interpreted as the manifestation of plasma density enhancements mainly associated with the equatorial ionization anomaly crest over this region. Occurrence of scintillation does happen at and around the ionization anomaly crest over Kenyan region. The presence of high ambient electron densities and large electron density gradients associated with small scale irregularities in the ionization anomaly regions have been linked to the occurrence of scintillation.