Role of Equatorial Anomaly in Earthquake time precursive features: A few strong events over West Pacific zone

The earthquake (EQ) time coupling processes between equator-low-mid latitude ionosphere are complex due to inherent dynamical status of each latitudinal zone and qualified geomagnetic roles working in the system. In an attempt to identify such process, the paper presents temporal and latitudinal variations of ionization density (foF₂) covering 45°N to 35°S, during a number of earthquake events (M?>?5.5). The approaches adopted for extraction of features by the earthquake induced preparatory processes are discussed in the paper through identification of parameters like the ‘EQ time modification in density gradient’ defined by δ?=?(foF_{2 max}???foF_{2 min})∕τ_mm, where τ_mm – time span (in days) between EQ modified density maximum and minimum, and the Earthquake time Equatorial Anomaly, i.e. EEA, one of the most significant phenomenon which develops even during night time irrespective of epicenter position. Based on the observations, the paper presents the seismic time coupling dynamics through anomaly like manifestations between equator, low and mid latitude ionosphere bringing in the global Total Electron Content (TEC) features as supporting indices.     

Effect of moderate geomagnetic storms on equatorial plasma bubbles over eastern Africa in the year 2012: Evolution and electrodynamics

Equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) are common features of the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere and are known to cause radio wave scintillation which leads to the degradation of communication and navigation systems. Although these structures have been studied for decades, a full understanding of their evolution and dynamics remains important for space weather mitigation purposes. In this study, we present cases of EPBs occurrences around April and July 2012 geomagnetic storm periods over the African equatorial sector. The EPBs were observed from the Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) and generally correlated well to the ionospheric irregularities observed from the Global Positioning System total electron content (GPS-TEC) measurements (rate of TEC change, ROT). This study revealed that the evolution of the EPBs during moderate storms is controlled by the strength of the daytime equatorial electrojet (EEJ) currents regardless of the strength of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), the latter is observed during the July storm case in particular. These effects were more evident during the main and part of the early recovery phases of the geomagnetic storm days considered. However, the evening hours TEC gradients between regions of the magnetic equator and ionization crests also played roles in the existence of ionospheric irregularities.     

中国地区MAGSAT卫星标量和矢量磁异常图

使用MAGSAT卫星资料,编绘中国及邻近地区的卫星磁异常图(10°N—60°N,70°E—140°E)。为了提取地壳异常场,必须从观测资料中消除主磁场、磁层场,感应场和电离层场。本文选用GSFC(12/83)地磁场模型,消除主磁场,磁层场和感应场。为了进一步消除电离层场的影响,改善相邻轨道磁异常的一致性,用纬度的二次多项式拟合每一条轨道的初始地壳异常,并从初始地壳磁异常值减去这一拟合值,从而获得最后的地壳异常值(△X,△Y,△Z,△F)。把研究地区分成1°×1°的网格,将每个网格内的磁异常进行平均,以获得网格中心点的异常值。根据这些网点值绘制中国及邻近地区的卫星标量和矢量磁异常图。等值线间隔为2nT。为了检验卫星磁异常图的可靠性,将卫星资料分成黎明组、黄昏组和联合组,分别进行处理和绘制卫星磁异常图。结果表明:根据上述资料绘制的卫星磁异常图有很好的一致性。中国地区的卫星磁异常值位于—10nT—10nT。卫星磁异常与区域构造特征有较好的一致性;塔里木地台、扬子地台和中朝地台是正磁异常区,西藏高原是负磁异常区。卫星磁异常反映出下地壳磁化强度的横向不均匀性。     

弹道导弹制导计算中扰动引力的快速赋值

主动段扰动引力是引起弹道导弹制导方法误差的主要因素。因此,要提高导弹的制导精度,就必须能够在弹上实时计算扰动引力。但现有方法在计算快速性和存储量之间无法得到有效协调。为此,把广义延拓逼近思想引入有限元逼近方法中,将插值单元周围节点的信息也包含到单元内一点扰动引力的计算当中,建立了一种新的数学模型。对所选发射空域,在发射坐标系中进行了直角坐标划分。计算结果表明,这种方法能够更加精确地逼近弹道导弹主动段的扰动引力,在600 km×250 km×6 km的主动段飞行区域内,只需要保存60个节点数据,就能使由逼近误差导致的落点偏差小于10 m,是一般有限元逼近方法精度的4倍以上。     

捷联式航空重力测量系统的数据处理方法比较与分析

重力数据处理对获取高精度重力异常值有着重要作用,是重力测量的核心技术。重力仪在搭载运动载体进行重力测量时,载体的高频振动对重力测量数据和GPS数据均会产生不可避免的干扰,导致提取的重力异常粗值含有大量高频噪声。围绕重力数据的处理方法这一核心技术,介绍了FIR低通滤波、零相移滤波、标准Kalman滤波、正反Kalman滤波4种滤波方法的基本原理,运用这4种方法处理了SAG捷联式重力仪的某次实际飞行测量数据,比对了基于SINS/GPS组合导航和SINS/DGPS组合导航的重力测量数据处理结果。通过对本次试验重复测线内符合精度进行比对,验证了4种方法的可行性和优劣性,同时验证了SAG重力仪的测量精度。     

3He原子磁强计技术

~3He原子磁强计利用~3He核自旋的拉莫尔进动测量磁场,具有高精度、小体积等特点,可以满足未来网络化磁异常探测对高性能磁强计的需求。围绕~3He原子磁强计的技术特点,重点介绍了该磁强计的基本工作原理及其硬件组成,分析了其理论灵敏度,给出了该磁强计的国内外研究情况,最后对该磁强计技术的未来发展进行了展望。     

Day-to-day variability of equatorial anomaly in GPS-TEC during low solar activity period

The ionospheric total electron content (TEC) in the northern hemispheric equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest region is investigated by using dual-frequency signals of the Global Positioning System (GPS) acquired from Rajkot (Geog. Lat. 22.29°N, Geog. Long. 70.74°E; Geom. Lat. 14.21°N, Geom. Long. 144.90°E), India. The day-to-day variability of EIA characteristics is examined during low solar activity period (F10.7∼83 sfu). It is found that the daily maximum TEC at EIA crest exhibits a day-to-day and strong semi-annual variability. The seasonal anomaly and equinoctial asymmetry in TEC at EIA is found non-existent and weaker, respectively. We found a moderate and positive correlation of daily magnitude of crest, Ic with daily F10.7 and EUV fluxes with a correlation coefficient of 0.43 and 0.33, respectively indicating an existence of a short-term relation between TEC at EIA and the solar radiation even during low solar activity period. The correlation of daily Ic with Dst index is also moderate (r = −0.35), whereas no correlation is found with the daily Kp index (r = 0.14) respectively. We found that the magnitude of EIA crest is moderately correlated with solar flux in all seasons except winter where it is weakly related (0.27). The magnitude of EIA crest is also found highly related with EEJ strength in spring (r = 0.69) and summer (r = 0.65) than autumn (0.5) and winter (r = 0.47), though EEJ is stronger in autumn than spring.     

Signatures of strong geomagnetic storms in the equatorial latitude

Ionosonde data from two equatorial stations in the African sector have been used to study the signatures of four strong geomagnetic storms on the height – electron density profiles of the equatorial ionosphere with the objective of investigating the effects and extent of the effects on the three layers of the equatorial ionosphere. The results showed that strong geomagnetic storms produced effects of varying degrees on the three layers of the ionosphere. Effect of strong geomagnetic storms on the lower layers of the equatorial ionosphere can be significant when compared with effect at the F2-layer. Fluctuations in the height of ionization within the E-layer were as much as 0% to +20.7% compared to −12.5% to +8.3% for the F2-layer. The 2007 version of the International Reference Ionosphere, IRI-07 storm-time model reproduced responses at the E-layer but overestimated the observed storm profiles for the F1- and F2-layers.     

Study of maximum electron density NmF2 at Karachi and Islamabad during solar minimum (1996) and solar maximum (2000) and its comparison with IRI

The monthly hourly medians of maximum electron density, N_mF₂, at two Pakistani ionospheric stations, Karachi and Islamabad, have been determined for solar minimum (1996) and solar maximum (2000) and compared with IRI predictions using the URSI coefficients. At night and pre-noon period the N_mF₂ values at both stations are almost equal during the 2 years. However, at post-noon the values at Karachi are considerably larger than those at Islamabad due to the equatorial or geomagnetic anomaly. Karachi (geomag. coord. 16.44°N, 139.08°E) lies near the region of the equatorial anomaly (+20 and −20 geomagnetic latitude), so most of the N_mF₂ values at Karachi are larger than those at Islamabad (geomag. coord. 24.46°N, 145.67°E). The maximum monthly values of N_mF₂ show a semi-annual variation at Karachi and Islamabad both during 1996 and 2000 as predicted by IRI.