Preliminary results of fair-weather atmospheric electric field in the proximity of Main Boundary Thrust,Northern Pakistan

The atmospheric electric Potential Gradient (PG) variation of fair-weather days at Muzaffarabad (MZF, Northern Pakistan) station is presented for the period of January 2015–October 2017. The present investigations focus on the diurnal variation of atmospheric PG on the seasonal and annual time scale. The fair-weather seasonal and annual average PG variation has revealed two peaks, i.e. a primary maximum peak and a secondary maximum peak. The average maximum PG value found is ～410?Vm^?1. The results are then compared with the well-known standard oceanic Carnegie curve. The diurnal curve of PG is found to deviate from the Carnegie curve. The seasonal PG variation at MZF shows lower values during the summer (monsoon) and autumn (post-monsoon) as compared to the winter and spring (pre-monsoon) which could be due to local aerosol concentration. Global comparison of PG (%) values of the annual mean at different longitude, with MZF observatory, shows local morning and evening peaks depicting local sunrise and sunset effects on the PG. The overall outcomes will certainly contribute to further investigate the Global Electric Circuit (GEC).     

晴天大气电场时空变化特征分析

利用子午工程5个大气电场观测站点近10年的近地面晴天大气电场观测数据,在年变化、季节变化、日变化三种不同时间尺度上进行了对比分析。结果表明:不同纬度站点的日平均晴天大气电场峰谷类型不同,且部分站点的波峰出现了逐年左移或右移的趋势;在电场幅值变化方面,位于中低纬度地区的站点呈现出逐年减小的变化特征,而位于中高纬度的站点呈现出逐年增加的变化趋势,且这种年变化均是线性的;多元回归分析表明,最大波峰出现时间与地理经度呈负相关,而与地理纬度呈正相关;各站点在近10年中均未出现明显的纬度效应;冬季的晴天大气电场日平均值水平较高,夏季较低,且各季节的日平均晴天大气电场最小值及最大值均近似呈正态分布;最小值及最大值在年度和季节两个时间尺度上的变化规律是基本一致的。这些研究结果揭示了晴天大气电场在不同时间尺度上的变化特征。      

西藏阿里地区的晴天大气电场特征

晴天大气电场是一个区域大气电场变化的基准场,是大气电场特性的研究基础。对于具有不同地质条件、地理环境和地形特点的区域,晴天大气电场特征具有明显区别。利用在西藏阿里地震台（80.12°E,32.51°N）安装的一台场磨式大气电场仪于2021年10月10日至2021年11月10日观测到的数据,通过对大气电场数据建模与分析,结合气象条件,得到西藏阿里地区23天晴天条件下的平均卡耐基曲线。经过平滑处理去除仪器噪声的波动,得到西藏阿里地区的晴天条件下的标准卡耐基曲线,进而与北京市昌平区十三陵观测台站（116.23°E,40.25°N）同期的晴天大气电场特征进行对比,并对其电场特性差异和原因进行了讨论。研究结果对分析高原地区晴天大气电场特征具有重要的参考价值和科学意义。      

TEC derived from some GPS stations in Nigeria and comparison with the IRI and NeQuick models

Total electron content (TEC) measured simultaneously using Global Positioning System (GPS) ionospheric monitors installed at some locations in Nigeria during the year 2011 (Rz = 55.7) was used to study the diurnal, seasonal, and annual TEC variations. The TEC exhibits daytime maximum, seasonal variation and semiannual variations. Measured TEC were compared with those predicted by the improved versions of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) and NeQuick models. The models followed the diurnal and seasonal variation patterns of the observed values of TEC. However, IRI model produced better estimates of TEC than NeQuick at all locations.     

Annual,seasonal and diurnal variations of integrated water vapor using GPS observations over Hyderabad,a tropical station

This paper presents annual, seasonal and diurnal variations of integrated water vapor (IWV) derived from Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements for a tropical site, Hyderabad (17.4° N, 78.46° E). The zenith wet delay (ZWD) due to the troposphere has been computed using GPS observations and collocated meteorological data. ZWD is converted to IWV with very little added uncertainty. Mean monthly IWV values show maximum in July (~50 kg m⁻²) and minimum in December (~15 kg m⁻²). Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Harmonic analyses methods have been adopted to extract amplitudes and phases of diurnal (24 h), semi-diurnal (12 h) and ter-diurnal (8 h) oscillations which yielded comparable results. Amplitude of the 24 h component is observed to be maximum in spring whereas 12 h and 8 h components maximize in summer. A cross-correlation study between available daily IWV values and corresponding surface temperatures over one year produced a good correlation coefficient (0.44). The correlation obtained for different seasons got reduced to 0.25, 0.02, −0.39 and 0.21 for winter, spring, summer and autumn seasons respectively. The correlation between IWV and rainfall is poor. The coefficients obtained for the whole year is 0.05 and −0.13 for the rainy season.     

Behavior of the equivalent slab thickness over three European stations

The total electron content (TEC) derived from the global positioning system (GPS) and the F2-layer peak electron density obtained from Digisonde data have been used to study the diurnal, seasonal and solar activity variations of the ionospheric equivalent slab thickness (τ) over three European stations located at Pruhonice (50.0°N, 15.0°E), Ebro (40.8°N, 0.5°E) and El Arenosillo (37.1°N, 353.3°E). The diurnal variation of the τ is characterized by daytime values lower than nighttime ones for all seasons at low solar activity while daytime values larger than nighttime characterizes the diurnal variation for summer at high solar activity. A double peak is noticeable at dusk and at dawn, better expressed for winter at low solar activity. The seasonal variations of τ depend on local time and solar activity, the daytime values of τ increases from winter to summer whereas nighttime values of τ show the opposite. The effect of the solar activity on τ depends on local time and season, there being very sensitive for winter nighttime values of τ. The results of this study are compared with those presented by other authors.     

Transient variations of vertical total electron content over some African stations from 2002 to 2012

This paper presents the vertical total electron content vTEC variations for three African stations, located at mid-low and equatorial latitudes, and operating since more than 10 years. The vTEC of the middle latitude GPS station in Alexandria, Egypt (31.2167°N; 29.9667°E, geographic) is compared to the vTEC of two others GPS stations: the first one in Rabat/Morocco (33.9981°N; 353.1457°E, geographic), and the second in Libreville/Gabon (0.3539°N; 9.6721°E, geographic). Our results discussed the diurnal, seasonal, and solar cycle dependences of vTEC at the local ionospheric conditions, during different phases of solar cycle in the light of the classification of Legrand and Simon. The vTEC over Alexandria exhibits the well-known equinoctial asymmetry which changes with the phases of the solar cycle; the spring vTEC is larger than that of autumn during the maximum, decreasing and minimum phases of solar cycle 23. During the increasing phase of solar cycle 24, it is the contrary. The diurnal variation of the vTEC presents multiple maxima during the equinox from 2005 to 2008 and during the summer solstice from 2006 to 2012. A nighttime vTEC enhancement and winter anomaly are also observed. During the deep solar minimum (2006–2009) the diurnal variation of the vTEC observed over Alexandria is similar to the diurnal variation observed during quiet magnetic period at equatorial latitudes. We observed also that the amplitude of vTEC at Libreville is larger than the amplitude of vTEC observed at Alexandria and Rabat, indeed Libreville is near the southern crest of the Equatorial Ionization anomaly. Finally, the correlation coefficient between vTEC and the sunspot number Rz is high and changes with solar cycle phases.     

Variations of Thermosphere Density Based on Joint Analysis of In-Situ Measurement Data From Shenzhou Spacecrafts

Based on the measurements made by Atmospheric Density Detectors (ADDs) onboard Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou 2-4, the variations of thermosphere density are revealed. During the quiet period, the density at spacecraft altitude of 330～410km exhibited a dominant diurnal variation, with high value on dayside and low value on nightside. The ratio of the diurnal maximum density to the minimum ranged from 1.7 to 2.0. The ratio shows a positive correlation with the level of solar activity and a negative correlation with the level of geomagnetic activity. When a geomagnetic disturbance comes, the atmospheric density at the altitude of 330～410km displayed a global enhancement. For a strong geomagnetic disturbance, the atmospheric density increased by about 56%, and reached its maximum about 6～7 hours after the geomagnetic disturbance peak. The density asymmetry was also observed both in the southern and northern hemisphere during the geomagnetic disturbance peak.      

Detection of the ionospheric disturbances on GPS-TEC using Differential Rate Of TEC (DROT) algorithm

The solar, geomagnetic, gravitational and seismic activities can cause spatial and temporal (hourly, diurnal, seasonal and annual) variabilities of the ionosphere. Main observable ionospheric parameters such as Total Electron Content (TEC) can be used to quantify these. TEC is the total number of electrons on a ray path crossing the atmosphere. The network of world-wide Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers provide a cost-effective solution in estimating TEC over a significant proportion of global land mass. This study is focused on the analysis of the variations of ionosphere over a midlatitude region using GPS-TEC estimates for three Sun Spot Numbers (SSN) periods. The investigation is based on a fast and automatic variability detection algorithm, Differential Rate Of TEC (DROT). The algorithm is tested using literature data on disturbances generated by a geomagnetic activity, a Solar Flare, a Medium Scale Travelling Ionospheric Disturbance (MSTID), a Large Scale TID (LSTID) and an earthquake. Very good agreement with the results in the literature is found. DROT is applied to IONOLAB-TEC estimates from nine Turkish National Permanent GPS Network (TNPGN Active) stations over Turkey to detect the any wave-like oscillations, sudden disturbances and other irregularities during December, March, June, September months for 2010, 2011, 2012 years. It is observed that DROT algorithm is capable of detecting both small and large scale variability due to climatic, gravitational, geomagnetic and solar activities in all layers of ionosphere. The highest DROT values are observed in 2010 during winter months. In higher solar activity years of 2011 and 2012, DROT is able to indicate both seasonal variability and severe changes in ionosphere due to increased number of geomagnetic storms and local seismic activities.     

Investigation on the MLT tidal variability during September 2019 minor sudden stratospheric warming

Tidal variability in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) during September 2019 Southern hemisphere minor sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) is investigated utilizing ground-based meteor radar wind observations from the equatorial, extratropical, middle, and high latitude stations and global reanalysis dataset. The polar warming is found to move from the mesosphere to the stratosphere until the peak warming day (PWD) of the SSW. The diurnal and semidiurnal tides at individual observational sites do not exhibit any consistent response during the observational interval, but a notable and consistent variability in some specific zonal wavenumber components, i. e., DW1 (migrating diurnal tide), DE3 (nonmigrating eastward wavenumber 3 diurnal tide), and SW2 (migrating semidiurnal tide) is found in the global reanalysis dataset. Incidentally, the warming event occurs during Spring equinox when a dominant seasonal change in the tidal activities generally takes place and hence seasonal variability is also looked into while identifying the SSW impact during the observational interval. It is found that the seasonal broad changes in the DW1, DE3, and SW2 amplitudes can be explained by the variability in the tidal sources, i.e., water vapor, convective activity, ozone, etc during the observational period. However, the extracted short-term variability in the global tidal modes on removing seasonal trend reveals noticeable response in connection with the warming event. The deseasoned amplitude of the DW1 significantly enhances around the PWD at most of the present latitudes. The deseasoned DE3 amplitude responds significantly in the middle atmosphere at low latitudes during the warming phase. The deseasoned SW2 exhibit clear enhancement around the PWD at all the latitudes. However, the deseasoned tidal features do not seem to correlate well with that of the source species unlike the seasonal ones that imply involvement of complex processes during the warming event, seeking further future investigations in this regard.     

Periodic variations of ionization rate in the low and middle atmosphere

The cosmic ray ionization source functions which were obtained using a simplified extensive air shower model are used to calculate the eleven year cycle, seasonal and diurnal variations of ionization rate in the low and middle atmosphere. The ionization source function, as a function of the penetrating depth and the energy of cosmic ray particles, is the ionization rate per unit depth for a unit flux of incoming cosmic ray particles with certain energy.The calculation of the eleven year cycle variation of ionization rate in the low and middle atmosphere due to the modulation of galactic cosmic ray intensity by solar activity shows that the amplitude is larger at a higher magnetic latitude and is generally larger at higher altitudes. The relative amplitude of fluctuation of the ionization peak value (at altitudes near 15 km) is up to 45% in the magnetic polar region. The ionization rate, due to the seasonal variation of the atmospheric density, varies from several per cent below the ionization peak to several tens per cent above the peak. This seasonal variation of ionization rate reaches 35% at 70 km. The diurnal variation of atmospheric densities caused by atmospheric tidal oscillation can produce a diurnal variation of the ionization rate to an amplitude of several per cent at altitudes above 40 km. The diurnal oscillation is less than 1% below 35 km.     

青海省柴达木盆地大气电场随高度的变化特征

大气电场强度是大气电学的重要参数.大气电场的准确测量及其时空特性对研究空间天气活动、气象活动以及大型地质活动具有重要意义.2019年8月26日和28日，中国科学院鸿鹄专项团队在青海省海西蒙古自治州大柴旦镇地区放飞搭载模式电场仪的探空气球，测量了不同高度的大气电场强度.利用互相关函数法和主成分分析法研究了此次气球实验得到的电场数据.结果表明，尽管通常情况下决定大气垂直电场大小的主要因素是高度，但是该地区风场对大气电场强度的影响也比较显著.晴天大气条件下，有无薄云的存在对大气电场测量存在一定影响，有云条件下，风速会通过影响云的形成间接影响到大气电场.此外，柴达木盆地存在一个易受下垫面影响的大气电场边界层，分析表明这个边界层厚度在3km以上.对边界层大气电场变化以及晴天无云时3600m以上的大气电场分布进行了分析和拟合.      

Quantitative analyses of complexity and nonlinear trend of radio refractivity gradient in the troposphere

In this paper, the complexity and nonlinear trends of Radio Refractivity Gradient (RRG) in the troposphere over selected locations in Nigeria are analyzed and discussed extensively. The RRG is an important parameter in estimating path clearance and propagation effects such as ducting, surface reflection and multi-path on terrestrial line of-sights links. Also, radio wave signal propagating in the troposphere is affected by unpredictability of a weather condition which includes the variations of meteorological parameters such as temperature, pressure and relative humidity. The complex state of the atmosphere, which is the medium for the transmission of radio signals tend to have very strong influence such as scintillation and ducting on the quality of the radio signal, amplitude and phase. Variations in the meteorological parameters also induce variations in the refractive index of the atmosphere which in-turn results in the effect known as radio refractivity. For effective prediction and modeling of radio signal propagation, one should be able to characterize the nature and predictability of the computed RRG information. Chaotic Quantifiers (CQ) such as Phase Plot Reconstruction (PPR), Average Mutual Information (AMI), False Nearest Neighbor (FNN), Recurrence Plot (RP) and Recurrence Quantification Analyses (RQA) are used to assess the RRG. The information reveal, however, is based on the prediction techniques, design and frequency planning of microwave networks which may be useful for optimum performances during atmospheric turbulence.     

Variation of ionospheric electron and ion temperatures during periods of minimum to maximum solar activity by the SROSS-C2 satellite over Indian low and equatorial latitudes

To study the variation of ionospheric electron and ion temperatures with solar activity the data of electron and ion temperatures were recorded with the help of Retarding Potential Analyzer payload aboard Indian SROSS-C2 satellite at an average altitude of ∼500 km. The main focuses of the paper is to see the diurnal, seasonal and latitudinal variations of electron and ion temperatures during periods of minimum to maximum solar activity. The ionospheric temperatures in the topside show strong variations with altitude, latitude, season and solar activity. In present study, the temperature variations with latitude, season and solar activity have been studied at an average altitude ∼500 km. The peak at sunrise has been observed during all seasons, in both electron and ion temperatures. Further, the ionospheric temperatures vary with latitude in day time. The latitudinal variation is more pronounced for low solar activity than for high solar activity.     

Improving the modeling of bottomside thickness parameters over midlatitudes and high latitudes

This paper investigates bottomside thickness parameters at Digisonde stations over midlatitude and high latitude regions, and compares the diurnal, seasonal, and solar activity variations in 2014 and 2009. The geographic latitudes of high latitude considered in this work are located beyond ±60° and those of midlatitude are located between ±40° and ±60°. The IRI-modeled B0 with ABT-2009 option (B0_IRI) are also examined and compared with four kinds of the B0 values, i.e., the observed B0 (B0_obs) from GIRO, the computed B0 following to Jamjareegulgarn et al. (2017a) (B0_old), the calculated B0 with a correction factor regarding to Jamjareegulgarn et al. (2017b) (B0_new), and the B0 with an average correction factor (B0_new_c_av). The average correction factors are proposed additionally in this work so as to assist occasionally the experimental B0 nonexistence of Digisonde which are equal to 0.2658 and 0.2058 for midlatitudes and high latitudes, respectively. Results show that the diurnal variations of B0_new and B0_new_c_av are in a good agreement with those of B0_obs evidently compared with those of B0_IRI and B0_old at every station during the three seasons over high and middle latitudes. During the three seasons, the diurnal variations of B0_new_c_av show similar trends and are close to one another with the B0_obs and the B0_new with small deviations. The differences between the B0obs and the B0_new_c_av also show similar trends and are close to one another with those between the B0obs and the B0_new. In contrast, the B0_IRI with ABT-2009 option seems to predict the B0 values poorly during the three seasons at high latitudes and some seasons at midlatitudes. The proposed B0_new is useful for computing approximately the observed B0 and the ionogram-based total electron content (ITEC) of Digisonde, and the plasma scale height over midlatitudes and high latitudes.     

北京地区电离层电子含量的某些特性

从对1980年至今的北京电离层电子含量的常规观测资料分析发现:电离层电子含量(IEC)的周日变化曲线除了绝大多数呈单峰变化外, 还有非扰动状态下的周日双峰变化、夜增长现象以及日出后不久的次极大正午之后的主极大等.本文着意于报道北京地区的IEC双峰特性和夜增现象及其随太阳活动的周期变化, 并与其它报道进行比较.      

Variations in the ionospheric scale height parameter at the F2 peak over Grahamstown,South Africa

The Grahamstown, South Africa (33.3°S, 26.5°E) ionospheric field station operates a Lowell digital pulse ionospheric sounder (Digisonde) whose output includes scaled parameters derived from the measured ionogram. One of these output parameters is the ionospheric scale height parameter (H), and this paper presents an analysis of the seasonal, diurnal, and solar activity variations of this parameter over the Grahamstown station. Ionosonde data from three years 2002, 2003, and 2004 were used in this study. The data was subjected to a general trend analysis to remove any outliers and then the monthly median data were used to explore the different variations. The results of this analysis were found to be similar to what has already been presented in the literature for low latitude stations, and are presented as well as the correlation at this mid-latitude station between the H parameter, the IRI shape parameter (B0), and the peak electron density (NmF2).     

Monitoring spatio-temporal variations in aerosols and aerosol–cloud interactions over Pakistan using MODIS data

Clouds are important elements in climatic processes and interactions between aerosols and clouds are therefore a hot topic for scientific research. Aerosols show both spatial and temporal variations, which can lead to variations in the microphysics of clouds. In this research, we have examined the spatial and temporal variations in aerosol particles over Pakistan and the impact of these variations on various optical properties of clouds, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from the Terra satellite. We used the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model for trajectory analysis to reveal the origins of air masses, with the aim of understanding these spatial and temporal variabilities in aerosol concentrations. We also documented seasonal variations in patterns of aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Pakistan, for which the highest values occur during the monsoon season (June–August). We then analyzed the relationships between AOD and four other cloud parameters, namely water vapour (WV), cloud fraction (CF), cloud top temperature (CTT) and cloud top pressure (CTP). Regional correlation maps and time series plots for aerosol (AOD) and cloud parameters were produced to provide a better understanding of aerosol–cloud interaction. The analyses showed strong positive correlations between AOD and WV for all of the eight cities investigated. The correlation between AOD and CF was positive for those cities where the air masses were predominantly humid, but negative for those cities where the air masses were relatively dry and carried a low aerosol abundance. These correlations were clearly dependent on the meteorological conditions for all of the eight cities investigated. Because of the observed AOD–CF relationship, the co-variation of AOD with CTP and CTT may be attributable to large-scale meteorological variations: AOD showed a positive correlation with CTP and CTT in northern regions of Pakistan and a negative correlation in southern regions.     

Study of seasonal and long-term vertical deformation in Nepal based on GPS and GRACE observations

Lithospheric deformation signal can be detected by combining data from continuous global positioning system (CGPS) and satellite observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). In this paper, we use 2.5- to 19-year-long time series from 35 CGPS stations to estimate vertical deformation rates in Nepal, which is located in the southern side of the Himalaya. GPS results were compared with GRACE observations. Principal component analysis was conducted to decompose the time series into three-dimensional principal components (PCs) and spatial eigenvectors. The top three high-order PCs were calculated to correct common mode errors. Both GPS and GRACE observations showed significant seasonal variations. The observed seasonal GPS vertical variations are in good agreement with those from the GRACE-derived results, particularly for changes in surface pressure, non-tidal oceanic mass loading, and hydrologic loading. The GPS-observed rates of vertical deformation obtained for the region suggest both tectonic impact and mass decrease. The rates of vertical crustal deformation were estimated by removing the GRACE-derived hydrological vertical rates from the GPS measurements. Most of the sites located in the southern part of the Main Himalayan Thrust subsided, whereas the northern part mostly showed an uplift. These results may contribute to the understanding of secular vertical crustal deformation in Nepal.     

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.