SOURCES OF THE IONOSPHERIC VARIABILITY OVER EUROPE IN WINTER TIME FROM THE IONOSONDE AND GPS/GLONASS DATA

• Main Authors: Shpynev, B., Chernigovskaya, M., Yasyukevich, A., Mylnikova, A., Koucká Knížová, P. (Petra), Kouba, D. (Daniel), Mielich, J., Kozlovsky, A., Zolesi, B.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: atmosphere-ionosphere; ionospheric F2-layer; winter circumpolar vortex; vertical total electron content; wave-like oscillations; Sodankylä
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0273766

The latitudinal dependence of ionospheric variability on the configuration and parameters\nof high-speed jet streams associated with the winter circumpolar vortex at the stratosphere/lower\nmesosphere heights are studied. We conducted a joint analysis of the variations of the\nionospheric F2-layer electron density peak and total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere\nover the mid- and high-latitude regions of Europe in the winter months (November to February)\nover 2008–2010 under low solar and geomagnetic activity conditions. The ionosphere\nparameters were obtained from measurements made at the meridional chain of European vertical\nsounding ionosondes Rome (41.9° N, 12.5° E), Pruhonice (50.0° N, 14.6° E), Juliusruh (54.6° N,\n13.4° E), Sodankylä (67.3° N, 26.6° E). The measurements on a network of the phase dualfrequency\nGPS/GLONASS receivers located in the range of 40–70° N and 10–30° E were used\nto obtain TEC. The calculation of the vertical total electron content from the initial series was\nbased on the developed absolute TEC model taking into account differential code biases. To\nstudy the dynamics of the winter circumpolar vortex in the Northern Hemisphere, we use the\ndata from the ECMWF ERA-Interim Reanalysis. The analysis showed the significant increase in\nwave-like activity in the stratosphere/lower mesosphere during winter seasons for all analyzed\nyears. Variations of ionospheric parameters observed at different latitudes depend on the station\npositions relative to the jet stream circulation zone.