First results from a comparison of ground-based ionosphric measurements in the southern hemisphere and the USU global ionospheric model

• Main Authors: Berkey,F.T., Sojka,J.J., Jarvis,M.J.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University/Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Utah State University/British Antarctic Survey 1987
• Subjects: Antarctic; Austral; Siple; Antarc*; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=2191; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00002191/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=2191&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

The F-layer parameters N_mF_2 and h_mF_2 have been derived from measurements made at two Antarctic stations for quiet days during the austral summer and winter of 1982. Siple (76°S, 84°W) and Halley (76°S, 27°W) are both sited near L≈4.2 and use essentially identical digital HF sounding radars. Even under quiet conditions, systematic differences in N_mF_2 and h_mF_2 can be observed at the two sites. Insight into the source of these differences can be obtained from a comparison of the ionospheric data with theoretical data derived from the USU global ionospheric model. Under austral winter conditions, a relatively good model-observational comparison is obtained. However, for austral summer conditions this agreement is poorer, apparently due to the simplicity of the neutral wind incorporated into the ionospheric model.