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Vertical electron content from ionograms in real time
Author(s) -
Huang Xueqin,
Reinisch Bodo W.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/1999rs002409
Subject(s) - ionosonde , ionogram , tec , millstone hill , incoherent scatter , total electron content , ionosphere , international reference ionosphere , geology , electron density , f region , equator , scale height , geodesy , faraday effect , middle latitudes , latitude , atmospheric sciences , geophysics , physics , meteorology , electron , magnetic field , quantum mechanics
A new technique for calculating the vertical total electron content (TEC) from ground‐based ionosonde measurements is introduced. The ionogram provides the information to directly calculate the vertical electron density profile up to the peak of the F 2 layer. The profile above the peak is approximated by an α‐Chapman function with a scale height that is derived from the profile shape around the F 2 peak. The ionosonde TEC, or ITEC, is then calculated as the integral from 0 to ∞ over the entire profile. ITEC values from Digisonde observations at Millstone Hill, Wallops Island, and Jicamarca are compared with incoherent scatter radar and with Faraday and TOPEX satellite TEC measurements, showing very good agreement at middle latitudes and the magnetic equator.