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Comparison of ionospheric characteristic parameters obtained by GPS and ionosonde with IRI model over China

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Abstract

This paper presents a comparison of ionospheric characteristic parameters obtained by a GPS network and three ionosondes at Mohe (122.4∘E, 53.5∘N, dip angle 70.983∘N), Zuolingzhen (114.6∘E, 30.5∘N, dip angle 46.350∘N), and Fuke (109.1∘E, 19.5∘N, dip angle 27.083∘N) located in China with an IRI model in the year 2011. Observed NmF2 and hmF2 values at the three stations are compared with IRI2007 and IRI2012 predictions, respectively. The results show that there are clear linear correlations between the observed values and the IRI model predicted values. The IRI model gives overestimations at the three stations mostly in 2011. For the NmF2 and hmF2 values, most of the results show that the IRI2012 predicted values are closer to the observed values compared with those of IRI2007. Additionally, the GPS TEC values derived from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) are compared with the IRI2012 predictions. From the results, it is evident that the IRI2012 model predictions follow the normal trend of diurnal variation of GPS measured TEC monthly means but do not reproduce the measured data well. The IRI2012 model overestimates electron density in the latter part of spring as well as the first half of autumn and winter and underestimates electron density in early spring and the latter part of autumn. Referring to GPS TEC, the precision of the IRI2012 model predicted TEC values is ∼5 TECU over China. It may also be noted that there are two discontinuities of IRI-TEC monthly means appearing in November and December of the year 2011. This brings a bias of ∼3 TECU of TEC values between two adjacent months.

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Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the use of data from the Chinese Meridian Project and CMONOC. He thank Dieter Bilitza and other researchers who contribute their effort on the IRI model. Additionally, thanks are due to Yu Jiao for the valuable discussion and revision. Also, the author would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editor for the comments and suggestions which are very helpful in revising the manuscript. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41274049) and National 863 Program of China (No. 2014AA123100).

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  1. Collaborative Innovation Center for Geospatial Information Technology, No. 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Cheng Wang

  2. GNSS Research Center, Wuhan University, No. 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Cheng Wang

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  1. Cheng Wang
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Correspondence to Cheng Wang.

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Corresponding editor: K Krishnamoorthy

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Wang, C. Comparison of ionospheric characteristic parameters obtained by GPS and ionosonde with IRI model over China. J Earth Syst Sci 125, 745–759 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-016-0694-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-016-0694-x

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