Medium-scale structure of the F-region

Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5628824

Paul, A K

Data collected during 1980/81 at Brighton, Colorado, show clearly that the F-region variations are undersampled in space and time by standard recording procedures. Fast temporal changes, with periods as short as 10 minutes, are directly observable if ionograms are taken in rapid sequences of a least 12 ionograms per hour. In order to obtain a correct spatial sampling, the distances between observing stations should not be much larger than 100 kilometers. This conclusion is derived from the temporal variations of F-layer parameters assuming a propagation velocity typical for acoustic gravity waves. Some direct estimates of a spatial structure scale can be obtained from angle of arrival measurements. Comparisons of foF2 and MUF(3000) indicate that the main effect of gravity waves on the F-region structure is the variation of the height of the layer and to a lesser degree a variation of the maximum electron density.

• Research Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5628824
• Report Number(s): AD-A-208187/5/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
F REGION
DISTURBANCES
ELECTRON DENSITY
GRAVITY WAVES
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
RECORDING SYSTEMS
SAMPLING
SOUND WAVES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
IONOSPHERE
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena