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[1] We present a new method to study harmonic waves in the low ionosphere (60-90 km) by detecting their effects on reflection of very low frequency (VLF) radio waves. Our procedure is based on amplitude analysis of reflected VLF radio waves recorded in real time, which yields an insight into the dynamics of the ionosphere at heights where VLF radio waves are being reflected. The method was applied to perturbations induced by the solar terminator motions at sunrises and sunsets. The obtained results show that typical perturbation frequencies found to exist in higher regions of the atmosphere are also present in the lower ionosphere, which indicates a global nature of the considered oscillations. In our model atmosphere, they turn out to be the acoustic and gravity waves with comparatively short and long periods, respectively. Citation: Nina, A., and V. M.Čadež (2013), Detection of acoustic-gravity waves in lower ionosphere by VLF radio waves, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40,[4803][4804][4805][4806][4807]

In this paper, we study the influence of solar flares on electron concentration in the terrestrial ionospheric D-region by analyzing the amplitude and phase time variations of very low frequency (VLF) radio waves emitted by DHO transmitter (Germany) and recorded by the AWESOME receiver in Belgrade (Serbia) in real time. The rise of photo-ionization rate in the ionospheric D-region is a typical consequence of solar flare activity as recorded by GOES-15 satellite for the event on March 24, 2011 between 12:01 UT and 12:11 UT. At altitudes around 70 km, the photo-ionization and recombination are the dominant electron gain and electron loss processes, respectively. We analyze the relative contribution of each of these two processes in the resulting electron concentration variation in perturbed ionosphere.