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Abstract. A sporadic-E (Es) layer is generally associated with a thin-layered structure present in the lower ionosphere, mostly consisting of metallic ions. This metallic ion layer is formed when meteors burn in the upper atmosphere, resulting in the deposition of free metal atoms and ions. Many studies have attributed the presence of the Es layer to the metallic ion layer, specifically when the layer is observed during the nighttime. Using data from a network of meteor monitoring towers and a collocated digital ionosonde radar near the Arabian Peninsula, in this paper, we report our observations of Es layer occurrences together with the meteor count. The trend of monthly averages of Es layer intensity shows a maximum in late spring and early summer months and a minimum in winter months, whereas the meteor counts were highest in winter months and lowest in spring and early summer months. This shows that the presence of the Es layer and the meteor counts have no correlation in time, both diurnally and seasonally. This leads us to conclude that the presence of meteors is not the main cause of the presence of the Es layer over the Arabian Peninsula.

Abstract. Sporadic-E (Es) is generally associated with a thin-layered structure present in the lower ionosphere mostly consisted of metallic ions. This metallic ion layer is formed when meteors burn in the upper atmosphere resulting in the deposition of free metal atoms and ions. Many studies have attributed to the presence of Es due to metallic ion layer, specifically during the nighttime. Using data from a network of meteor monitoring towers and a collocated digital ionosonde radar near Arabian Peninsula, in this paper, we are reporting our observations of Es together with the meteor count. It has been observed that the presence of Es and the meteor count data have no correlation in time, both diurnally and seasonally, leading us to conclude that presence of meteors is not the main cause for the presence of Es over Arabian Peninsula.