Measurements of Trans-Ionospheric Propagation Parameters in the Polar Cap Ionosphere

• Main Authors: Klobuchar, J. A., Anderson, D. N., Bishop, G. J., Doherty, P. H.
• Other Authors: AIR FORCE GEOPHYSICS LAB HANSCOM AFB MA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1987
• Subjects: Atmospheric Physics; Radiofrequency Wave Propagation; *IONOSPHERE; *SCINTILLATION; *IONOSPHERIC PROPAGATION; STATIONS; ORBITS; POLAR REGIONS; PROPAGATION; TIME INTERVALS; MEASUREMENT; DARKNESS; ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES; L BAND; GREENLAND; TEMPERATE REGIONS; DELAY; BACKGROUND; AMPLITUDE; DUAL MODE; POLAR CAP; RADIOFREQUENCY; DIURNAL VARIATIONS; PE62101F; WUAFGL46430901; Greenland; Thule
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA189446; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA189446

Measurements of absolute TEC (Total Electron Content), were made for the first time from the polar cap station located at Thule, Greenland in early 1984 using dual-frequency group delay measurements from high orbit satellites. Measurements of L-band amplitude scintillation and dual-frequency differential carrier phase scintillation were also made. The variability of the TEC was extremely large, with increases above the background values of more than 100 percent observed frequently. Quasi-periodic TEC enhancements with periods as short as 10 min and with amplitudes exceeding 10**17 el/m**2 column were seen over several time intervals of more than two hours. The absolute values of TEC observed in the dark polar cap ionosphere at times exceeded the diurnal maximum values from the mid-latitude ionosphere during this initial period of observations. Keywords: Polar ionosphere.