Registration of VLF-sferics at the von-Neumayer Station

• Main Authors: Volland,H., Schmolders,M., Prolss,G., Kroninger,H.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Radioastronomisches Institut, Universitat Bonn/Radioastronomisches Institut, Universitat Bonn/Institut fur theoretische Astrophysik, Universitat Bonn/National Electrical Engineering Research Institute 1985
• Subjects: Antarctic; Neumayer; Neumayer Station; Antarc*; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1811; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00001811/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1811&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

A VLF-sferics-analyzer was operating at the German antarctic station von-Neumayer from January to July 1983. This analyzer registrated far distant lightning events in the frequency range between 5 and 9kHz. Assuming the location of these sources to be known, the propagation characteristics of the atmospheric wave guide between the earth and the ionosphere can be derived along the propagation path. The method of measurement is described. The data of June 1983 are evaluated and the distances of the sources are determined from a comparison with rain fall records during the same month and, in addition, from sferics registrations obtained at a second station in Pretoria, South Africa. The main result is that the ionospheric D layer along the propagation paths from the east coast of South America to the von-Neumayer station and from South Africa to the von-Neumayer station do not show a significant daily variation. The virtual ionospheric reflection height is about 82km for VLF waves between 5 and 9kHz during June. This corresponds to night time conditions at northern mid-latitudes in winter.