Identification

Title

Features of the middle- and low-latitude ionosphere during solar minimum as revealed from COSMIC radio occultation measurements

Abstract

In this study, the ionospheric electron density profiles retrieved from radio occultation measurements of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) mission are analyzed to determine the F2 layer maximum electron density (NmF2), peak height (hmF2), and Chapman scale height (Hm). During the deep solar minimum of 2008–2009, NmF2, hmF2, and Hm show complicated seasonal variations, which are generally consistent with those in previous solar minima. Besides the equinoctial asymmetry, nonseasonal and semiannual anomalies are present in daytime NmF2; the Weddell Sea anomaly appears in nighttime NmF2 in all seasons except the June solstice. Unusually higher values of hmF2 and Hm appear at southern middle latitudes in the region centered at 70°E in the daytime and hmF2 at 70°W in the nighttime. Wave-like longitudinal patterns are evidently present at low latitudes in all three parameters, showing diurnal and seasonal nature. The values of the parameters under study are smaller in 2008–2009 than the rest of the COSMIC period examined in this study. The seasonal and latitudinal pattern of daytime NmF2 on the solar sensitivity not only confirms our earlier investigation but also explains the observed small NmF2 in 2008–2009 in response to the reduced solar extreme ultraviolet radiance.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d74f1s2n

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2011-09-10T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact