Speaker
Description
Instabilities and turbulence in the Earth ionosphere can lead to irregularities in the ionospheric plasma density. Ionospheric plasma irregularities are important space weather effects, which can significantly impact the propagation of radio waves through the upper atmosphere, and consequently degrade the quality of trans- ionospheric signals and communication with satellites. This can decrease the accuracy of positioning using the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS and Galileo, and can even lead to unavailability of such services. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of ionospheric irregularities is vital for both research and operations that rely on satellite signals, and for the development of space weather forecasting services.
We present climatological studies of ionospheric irregularities in the polar regions carried out using the Swarm satellite data and ground-based measurements in the Arctic and in Antarctica. We discuss climatology of ionospheric irregularities in relation to the solar activity. With long term statistical studies, we show that the polar ionosphere in the Antarctic is in general more irregular than the Arctic. We also show how we employ ground- based data to develop an empirical model based on more than one solar cycle of the rate of change of the total electron content index (ROTI) maps, which now serves as a basis for regular services to forecast the level of ionospheric irregularities in the Arctic.
Finally, we present collaborative initiatives to advance our understanding on ionospheric plasma irregularities, as well as AGATA, which is the Scientific Research Programme of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). AGATA is a worldwide initiative that focuses on better understanding of coupling between and within atmospheric layers and geosphace in the Antarctic and also in the Arctic, and creates a platform for coordinated international efforts for comprehensive studies of the polar upper atmosphere.