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Statistical study of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances observed with the GPS networks in Southern California

Earth, Planets and Space volume 59, pages95–102(2007)Cite this article

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Abstract

Using global positioning system (GPS) data taken from 350 dual-frequency GPS receivers in Southern California in 2002, we investigated two-dimensional maps of total electron content (TEC) perturbations with a time resolution of 30 s and a spatial resolution of 0.15°×0.15° in longitude and latitude to reveal statistical characteristics of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). We found that MSTIDs can be categorized into three types. One type is daytime MSTIDs, which frequently occur in winter and equinoxes. Since most of the daytime MSTIDs propagated southeastward, we speculate that the daytime MSTIDs could be caused by atmospheric gravity waves in the thermosphere. A second type is nighttime MSTIDs, which frequently occur in summer. Nighttime MSTIDs propagate southwestward. This propagation direction is consistent with the idea that polarization electric fields could play an important role in generating nighttime MSTIDs. The third is dusk MSTIDs, which frequently occur in summer and propagate northwestward. Dusk MSTIDs could be caused by gravity waves originating from the sunset terminator because they have wavefronts almost parallel to the sunset terminator.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Toyokawa Aichi, 442-8507, Japan

    • Nobuki Kotake
    • , Yuichi Otsuka
    •  & Tadahiko Ogawa

  2. Atmospheric Sciences Off Route 40, MIT Haystack Observatory, Westford, MA, 01886-1299, USA

    • Takuya Tsugawa

  3. Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakechou, Sakyou-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    • Akinori Saito

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Correspondence to Nobuki Kotake.

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Kotake, N., Otsuka, Y., Ogawa, T. et al. Statistical study of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances observed with the GPS networks in Southern California. Earth Planet Sp 59, 95–102 (2007) doi:10.1186/BF03352681

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Key words

  • MSTID
  • mid-latitude ionosphere
  • GPS
  • total electron contents