Analysis of the Ionospheric Irregularities and Phase Scintillation at Low and Middle Latitudes Based on Swarm Observations
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: This study presents a statistical analysis of the ionospheric irregularities and topside ionospheric scintillation at low and middle latitudes by using in situ electron density and upward-looking total electron content data measured by the Swarm constellation during 2014–2021. The main purpose of this study is to determine whether the phase scintillation could present similar seasonal, longitudinal, latitudinal, local time, and solar activity features as the in situ ionospheric irregularities do at low and middle latitudes, and how the irregularities affect the phase scintillation. The results are summarized as follows: (1) At low latitudes, the occurrence rate of equatorial plasma irregularities (EPIs) at the equinoxes and December solstice peaks before midnight, but during the June solstice, the EPIs mainly occur after midnight. The occurrence rate of EPIs has a positive correlation with solar activity. The distribution of topside scintillation occurrence is relatively consistent with EPIs, but during the June solstice, the scintillation occurrence rate remains at a very low level. (2) The midlatitude irregularities mainly occur after midnight, and their occurrence rate is negatively correlated with solar activity. Midlatitude irregularities mainly occur during the solstices, concentrated over the Pacific region during the June solstice and over the Pacific American sector during the December solstice. Especially, the distribution of midlatitude irregularities has hemispheric asymmetry, with a higher occurrence rate in the winter hemisphere. However, the occurrence of midlatitude scintillation is comparable in both hemispheres during the June solstice, and it concentrates in the southern hemisphere during the December solstice. (3) The EPIs concentrate more at the altitudes of Swarm A, while the midlatitude irregularities mainly occur at the altitudes of Swarm B.
Source: Remote Sensing
DOI: 10.3390/rs14194780
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,618
Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, China Association for Science and Technology, European Space Agency, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Government of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing University, Shanghai Aerospace Science and Technology Innovation Foundation, Goddard Space Flight Center, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
Awards: G1097465859, G1272306418, G1411433710, G1795277392, G1910881785, G2351064637, G2389271234, G2484056105, G2542358064, G2546186341, G2565021212, G2649212103, G2744446051, G2836991331, G2902797924, G3008454001, G3251904096, G3272858927, G3290121206, G3306665899, G3311248232, G3339148102, G3355684025, G3536275080, G3725609221, G3840446249, G393024487, G4171115169, G4338654649, G4364971442, G4556389924, G4578877947, G4661649096, G4771213291, G5057171038, G5326124904, G5519022740, G5897426355, G590615799, G6088179175, G6289758209, G6386153180, G6431330534, 等离子体层电子浓度变化特性及其物理机制研究, G6665774762, G6699633677, 中低纬电离层中尺度结构研究, G6968433207, G7052794609, G7399661321, G7643772177, G7787961501, G7843755403, G7938500955, G8340967204, G8607339702, G8632290465, G8837258323, G8998046490
OpenAlex ID: W4297238444