The International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) is the international standard for the specification of ionospheric densities and temperatures. It was developed and is being improved-updated by a joint working group of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) and the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). A new version of IRI is scheduled for release in the year 2000. This paper describes the most important changes compared to the current version of IRI: (1) an improved representation of the electron density in the region from the F peak down to the E peak including a better description of the F1 layer occurrence statistics and a more realistic description of the low-latitude bottomside thickness, (2) inclusion of a model for storm-time conditions, (3) inclusion of an ion drift model, (4) two new options for the electron density in the D region, and (5) an improved model for the topside electron temperatures. The outcome of the most recent IRI Workshops (Kuhlungsborn, 1997, and Nagoya, 1998) will be reviewed, and the status of several ongoing task force activities (e.g., efforts to improve the representation of electron and ion densities in the topside ionosphere and the inclusion of a plasmaspheric extension) will be discussed. A few typical IRI applications will be highlighted in section 6.

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International Reference Ionosphere 2000

The NCAR thermospheric general circulation model (TGCM) is extended to include a self-consistent aeronomic scheme of the thermosphere and ionosphere. The model now calculates total temperature, instead of perturbation temperature about some specified global mean, global distributions of N(²D), N(4S) and NO, and a global ionosphere with distributions of O+,NO+, O2+, N2+, N+, electron density, and ion temperature as well as the usual fields of winds, temperature and major composition. Mutual couplings between the thermospheric neutral gas and ionospheric plasma occur at each model time step and at each point of the geographic grid. Steady state results for this first Eulerian model of the ionosphere, are presented for solar minimum equinox conditions. The calculated thermosphere and ionosphere global structure agrees reasonably well with the structure of these regions obtained from empirical models. This suggests that the major physical and chemical processes that describe the large-scale structure of the thermosphere and ionosphere have been identified and a self-consistent aeronomic scheme, based on first principles, can be used to calculate thermospheric and ionospheric structure considering only external sources.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/GL015i012p01325%4010.1002/%28ISSN%291944-8007.GRL40

A coupled thermosphere/ionosphere general circulation model

[1] We have used the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model to produce a small (three-member) ensemble of simulations of the period 1950–2003. Comparison of model results against available observations shows that for the most part, the model is able to reproduce well the observed trends in zonal mean temperature and ozone, both as regards their magnitude and their distribution in latitude and altitude. Calculated trends in water vapor, on the other hand, are not at all consistent with observations from either the HALOE satellite instrument or the Boulder, Colorado, hygrosonde data set. We show that such lack of agreement is actually to be expected because water vapor has various sources of low-frequency variability (heating due to volcanic eruptions, the quasi-biennial oscillation and El Nino–Southern Oscillation) that can confound the determination of secular trends. The simulations also reveal the presence of other interesting behavior, such as the lack of any significant temperature trend near the mesopause, a decrease in the stratospheric age of air, and the rare occurrence of an extremely disturbed Southern Hemisphere winter.

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Simulation of secular trends in the middle atmosphere, 1950–2003

We present the first global empirical model for the quiet time F region equatorial vertical drifts based on combined incoherent scatter radar observations at Jicamarca and Ion Drift Meter observations on board the Atmospheric Explorer E satellite. This analytical model, based on products of cubic-B splines and with nearly conservative electric fields, describes the diurnal and seasonal variations of the equatorial vertical drifts for a continuous range of all longitudes and solar flux values. Our results indicate that during solar minimum, the evening prereversal velocity enhancement exhibits only small longitudinal variations during equinox with amplitudes of about 15–20 m/s, is observed only in the American sector during December solstice with amplitudes of about 5–10 m/s, and is absent at all longitudes during June solstice. The solar minimum evening reversal times are fairly independent of longitude except during December solstice. During solar maximum, the evening upward vertical drifts and reversal times exhibit large longitudinal variations, particularly during the solstices. In this case, for a solar flux index of 180, the June solstice evening peak drifts maximize in the Pacific region with drift amplitudes of up to 35 m/s, whereas the December solstice velocities maximize in the American sector with comparable magnitudes. The equinoctial peak velocities vary between about 35 and 45 m/s. The morning reversal times and the daytime drifts exhibit only small variations with the phase of the solar cycle. The daytime drifts have largest amplitudes between about 0900 and 1100 LT with typical values of 25–30 m/s. We also show that our model results are in good agreement with other equatorial ground-based observations over India, Brazil, and Kwajalein.

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Radar and satellite global equatorial F-region vertical drift model

The seasonal averages of the equatorial F region vertical and zonal plasma drifts are determined using extensive incoherent scatter radar observations from Jicamarca during 1968-1988. The late afternoon and nighttime vertical and zonal drifts are strongly dependent on the 10.7-cm solar flux. The authors show that the evening prereversal enhancement of vertical drifts increases linearly with solar flux during equinox but tends to saturate for large fluxes during southern hemisphere winter. They examine in detail, for the first time, the seasonal variation of the zonal plasma drifts and their dependence on solar flux and magnetic activity. The seasonal effects on the zonal drifts are most pronounced in the midnight-morning sector. The nighttime eastward drifts increase with solar flux for all seasons but decrease slightly with magnetic activity. The daytime westward drifts are essentially independent of season, solar cycle, and magnetic activity.

/pdf/average-vertical-and-zonal-f-region-plasma-drifts-over-3nthpommun.pdf

Average vertical and zonal F region plasma drifts over Jicamarca

Seasonally averaged quiet-day F region ionospheric E × B drift observations from the Millstone Hill, St. Santin, Arecibo, and Jicamarca incoherent scatter radars are used to produce a model of the middle and low-latitude electric field for solar minimum conditions. A function similar to an electrostatic potential is fitted to the data to provide model values continuous in latitude, longitude, time of day, and day of the year. This model is intended to serve as a reference standard for applications requiring global knowledge of the mean electric field or requiring information at some location removed from the observing radars. This article contains supplementary material.

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An empirical model of quiet-day ionospheric electric fields at middle and low latitudes

Plasma drift measurements taken at Arecibo during the solar minimum period of 1974-1977 are examined to determine their average behavior in the E, F2, and F regions. The drifts are generally diurnal in the E region and semidiurnal in the F1 region. These lower thermospheric drifts are set up by polarization fields generated by propagating and in situ atmospheric tides. In the F region the diurnal component is more pronounced, especially in the zonal direction. The magnitude of the drifts is of the order of 25-30 m/s (or 1 mV/m). Enhanced geomagnetic activity appears to increase the westward component of the drift in agreement with the theory of the ionospheric disturbance dynamo (Blanc and Richmond, 1980). Nighttime drifts appear to be at least partly explained in terms of polarization fields.

Average electric field behavior in the ionosphere above Arecibo

Measurements of electron density at seven D region altitudes were made with the Arecibo radar during a class X solar flare on August 18, 1979. Measurements of solar X ray fluxes during the same period were available from the GOES 2 satellite (0.5–4 A and 1–8 A) and from ISEE 3 (in four bands between 26 and 400 keV). From the X ray flux data we computed ionization rates in the D region and the associated chemical changes, using a coupled atmospheric chemistry and diffusion model (with 997 chemical reactions and 19 vertical levels). The computed electron densities matched the data quite well after we had adjusted the rate coefficients of three reactions, namely, O−2 + O2(1Δ) → e + O2 + O2, O+2 + O2 + M → O+4 + M, and O+4 + O → O+2 + O3. We also discuss the hierarchies among the many flare-induced chemical reactions in two altitude ranges within the D region and the possible effects of two separate isomeric forms of O+4.

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The solar flare of August 18, 1979: Incoherent scatter radar data and photochemical model comparisons

For the first time, vertical electron drift velocities in the F region of the ionosphere have been directly determined using the Doppler shift of the electron component of the incoherent-scatter spectra. Simultaneous measurements of ion drift velocities were also made. A large difference between the electron and ion velocities of the order of 100 ms−1 with corresponding currents of 10−5 Am−2 was observed at sunrise. The most likely source of these currents appears to be the action of the local thermospheric wind on the large conductivity gradients associated with the sunrise line.

First direct ground-based measurements of electron drift in the ionospheric F region

Plasma line observations obtained from incoherent radar backscatter have been used as a ground-based method for deriving information about the size and anisotropy of the ionospheric photoelectron fluxes. In the past, data interpretation has been confined to altitudes above the F2 peak. Measurements below the F2 peak consistently show an anisotropy in the ratio of the downshifted to upshifted amplitudes of 20–50% when it is generally assumed that diffusion processes dominate. We describe calculations of the plasma line intensity which use a multiangle multienergy calculation of the photoelectron distribution function. The calculated electron flux exhibits a small low-altitude low-energy anisotropy which is reflected in the plasma line measurements. Given anisotropic elastic electron-neutral cross sections, the flux anisotropy arises when the local mean free path is of the order of the local scale height. The net effect is conversion of a spatial density inhomogeneity into a velocity distribution anisotropy.

Suman Ganguly

Papers

An empirical model of quiet-day ionospheric electric fields at middle and low latitudes

Average electric field behavior in the ionosphere above Arecibo

The solar flare of August 18, 1979: Incoherent scatter radar data and photochemical model comparisons

First direct ground-based measurements of electron drift in the ionospheric F region

low-altitude plasma line anisotropy