Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2013, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 112-125
Seasonal variability of the diurnal and semi-diurnal F2 layer components over Irkutsk, according to ionospheric radio sounding data
N. Zolotukhina
, N. Polekh, E. Romanova, A. Polyakova
Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of Siberian Branch RAS, Irkutsk, Russia
The fluctuations of the critical frequency (foF2) and peak height (hmF2) of the F2 layer over Irkutsk (52,5˚ N, 104,0˚ E) in 2003–2011 are studied. The fluctuations contain components with periods T ≈ 24/n hours (n = 1–7). Amplitudes of the foF2 and hmF2 diurnal components vary gradually from winter maximum to summer minimum. Amplitudes of the foF2 semidiurnal component vary abruptly, thus forming a narrow winter peak in November – January. The phase of the diurnal foF2 component increases gradually by 4–6 hours from winter to summer. The phase of the semidiurnal foF2 component is nearly stable in winter/summer and decreases (increases) sharply by 2–3 hours near the spring (fall) equinox. The phase of the hmF2 diurnal component varies slightly between 1130 and 1300 LT; that of the semidiurnal one decreases (increases) by 4–6 hours in February (October).
Keywords: parameters of the ionospheric F2 layer, seasonal variations, diurnal and semidiurnal components
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