Variability of Ionospheric TEC and the Performance of the IRI-2012 Model at the BJFS Station, China

Abstract

A b s t r a c tWe studied variation characteristics of ionospheric total electron contents (TEC) and performance of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI)-2012 model in predicting TEC at the BJFS (Beijing Fangshan station), China. Diurnal and seasonal variations were analyzed with TEC data derived from dual-frequency global positioning system (GPS) observations along with the solar activity dependence of TEC at the BJFS station. Data interpolated with information from IGS Global Ionosphere Maps (GIMs) were also used in the analysis. Results showed that the IRI-2012 model can reflect the climatic characteristics and solar activity dependence of ionospheric TEC. By using time series decomposition method, ionospheric daily averaged TEC values were divided into the periodic components, geomagnetic activity component, solar activity component and secular trend. Solar activity component and periodic components are supposed to be the main reasons which account for the difference between the GIMs TEC and the TEC from the IRI-2012 model.

A New Model for Ionospheric Total Electron Content: The Impact of Solar Flux Proxies and Indices

“…Our model addresses several of the limitations of IRI addressed by these studies and our discussion above. Most notably, the 27-day periodic variations in TEC during years of high-solar flux are well captured by our model, while both IRI-2012 (Li et al, 2016) and IRI-2016 fail to describe it. Our model captures the daytime and nighttime amplitude as well as the seasonal and local time position of the TEC peak, a notable improvement over the nighttime underestimation, daytime overestimation, and seasonal and local time limitations of IRI.…”

“…Similar limitations in the predictions made by the IRI model are described in other studies. Li et al (2016) make a comparison similar to ours above, but for the years 2009 and 2013, using IRI-2012 to TEC-GIM maps at the midlatitude Beijing Fangshan station (BJFS) in China (39.6°N). They note that the periodicity of TEC-IRI more closely resembles TEC-GIM during the low solar flux year, while during a high-solar flux year, main differences between GIM and IRI-2012 may be largely attributed to periodic (annual, semiannual, three-monthly, and four-monthly) components and the solar activity component.…”

A new model for ionospheric total electron content: the impact of solar flux proxies and indices

“…and our discussion above. Most notably, the 27-day periodic variations in TEC during years of high solar flux are well captured by our model, while both IRI-2012(Li et al, 2016) andIRI-2016 fail to describe it. Our model captures the daytime and nighttime amplitude as well as the seasonal and local time position of the TEC peak, a notable im-provement over the nighttime underestimation, daytime overestimation, and seasonal and local time limitations of IRI.…”

Power Spectrum Inception of F2 Layer at Solar Terrestrial Region of Pakistan

“…The dynamics of the ionosphere in equatorial latitudes is extremely remarkable and as a result affects significantly radio signals propagating in the ionosphere, thus deteriorating the performance of satellite navigation systems. It has been investigated that a large number of phenomena are occurring to disturb ionospheric activities in the space such as Solar wind, bursts of the celestial objects (Brum et al 2011;Cnossen et al 2016;Li et al 2016;Lyashenko 2016;Lastovicka 2017;Liu et al 2020). This is a well known fact that F 2 layer of the ionosphere can be responsible as one of the most essential variable of our atmosphere.…”

“…This is a well known fact that F 2 layer of the ionosphere can be responsible as one of the most essential variable of our atmosphere. The variability of this entirely dependent particular region on dynamics of sunspots and solar bursts (Szwabowski 2016;Wang et al 2019,Liu et al 2011Li et al 2016). It has been declared that the temperature of the atmosphere increases tremendously within the layer that intern produces the enhancement in the electron density of the same region (Abdullah 2011).The most important causes of ionization of Earth's ionospheric F 2 layer are solar EUV radiations (de Haro Barbás and Elias 2020).…”