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ISSN 2070-7401 (Print), ISSN 2411-0280 (Online)
Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa
CURRENT PROBLEMS IN REMOTE SENSING OF THE EARTH FROM SPACE

  

Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2026, V. 23, No. 5, pp. 415-426

Study of variations in total electron content of ionosphere over the Tien Shan

S.I. Kuzikov 1 , S.A. Imashev 1 
1 Research Station RAS in Bishkek City, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Accepted: 07.08.2026
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2026-23-5-415-426
The relevance of studying variations in the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) is associated with the need to identify anomalies related to natural and anthropogenic processes against the background of regular helio- and geophysical cycles. In this work, patterns and characteristics of TEC variations over the Western and Central Tien Shan during 2000–2023 are identified in order to establish a basis for detecting disturbances, including those of lithospheric origin. Using global ionospheric maps from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with a spatial resolution of 2.5×5° and an hourly time step, the spatial homogeneity of TEC over the study area (deviations ≤2 TECu) is demonstrated, which allows the use of data from a representative point at 42.5° N, 75° E. Based on the continuous wavelet transform, the dominance of the 11-year solar activity cycle is confirmed, and annual, semiannual, and 27-day periodicities in TEC variations are identified. For the Tien Shan region, during years of high solar activity the daytime TEC maxima vary within 25–70 TECu, while nighttime minima range from 8 to 20 TECu. During years of low solar activity these values decrease to 9–18 and 5–8 TECu, respectively. Seasonal TEC maxima occur in spring and autumn with a delay of up to one month relative to the equinoxes. For the diurnal TEC variation, the statistical maximum occurs at 07:00 UTC and the minimum at 22:00–24:00 UTC. The sensitivity of TEC to geomagnetic storms and to strong earthquakes is demonstrated. For the first time, regional background characteristics of the ionosphere over the Tien Shan have been obtained, which are necessary for reliable identification of anomalies of different origin.
Keywords: Tien Shan, ionosphere, GNSS, total electron content, TEC, solar and geomagnetic activity, lithosphere-ionosphere coupling
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