Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ionospheric Scintillation and Dynamics of Fresnel-Scale Irregularities in the Inner Region of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly

  • Published:
Surveys in Geophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper reports differences in the occurrence statistics of global positioning system (GPS) L-band scintillations at observational sites located in the inner regions of the northern and southern crests of the equatorial ionization anomaly. Ground-based GPS data acquired at the closed magnetically aligned stations of Manaus (3.1°S; 59.9°W; dip lat. 6.2°N) and Cuiabá (15.5°S; 56.1°W; dip. lat. 6.2°S), Brazil, from December 2001 to February 2007 are used in the analysis. The drift dynamics of Fresnel-scale ionospheric irregularities at the southern station of Cuiabá are also investigated. Only geomagnetically quiet days with the sum of daily Kp < 24 were used in the analysis statistics and in the irregularity drift studies. The results reveal a clear dependence of the scintillation occurrence with the solar activity, but there exists an asymmetry in the percentage of scintillation occurrence between the two stations throughout the period analyzed. The nocturnal occurrence of the scintillations over Cuiabá is predominantly larger than over Manaus, but this scenario seems to change with the decline in the solar activity (mainly during local post-midnight hours). A broad minimum and maximum in the scintillation occurrence appears to occur over both the stations, respectively, during the June solstice (winter) and December solstice (summer) months. The dynamics of the Fresnel-scale irregularities, as investigated from the estimations of the mean zonal drift velocities, reveals that the amplitude of the eastward drifts tends to reduce with the decline in the solar activity. The magnitude of the zonal drift velocities during the December solstice months is larger than during the equinoxes, with the differences being more pronounced at solar maximum years. Other relevant aspects of the observations, with complementary data from a low-latitude ionospheric model, are highlighted and discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aarons J, Basu S (1994) Ionospheric amplitude and phase fluctuations at the GPS frequencies. Proceedings of the 7th international technical meeting of the satellite division of the institute of navigation (ION GPS 1994). Salt Lake City, UT, September 1994, pp 1569–1578

  • Bandyopadhayay T, Guha A, DasGupta A, Banerjee P, Bose A (1997) Degradation of navigational accuracy with global positioning system during periods of scintillation at equatorial latitudes. Electron Lett 33:1010–1011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basu S, Basu S, Aarons J, McClure JP, Cousins MD (1978) On the coexistence of kilometer- and meter-scale irregularities in the nighttime equatorial F region. J Geophys Res 83:4219–4226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basu S, Groves KM, Quinn JM, Doherty P (1999) A comparison of TEC fluctuations and scintillations at Ascension Island. J Atmos Solar-Terr Phys 61:1219–1226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beach TL (1998) Global positioning system studies of equatorial scintillations. PhD Thesis, Cornell University

  • Beach TL, Kintner PM (2001) Development and use of a GPS ionospheric scintillation monitor. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 39:918–928

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharyya A, Beach TL, Basu S, Kintner PM (2000) Nighttime equatorial ionosphere: GPS scintillations and differential carrier phase fluctuations. Radio Sci 35:209–224. doi:10.1029/1999RS002213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bittencourt JA, Pillat VG, Fagundes PR, Sahai Y, Pimenta AA (2007) LION: A dynamic computer model for the low-latitude ionosphere. Ann Geophys 25:2371–2392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu FD, Liu JY, Takahashi H, Sobral JHA, Taylor MJ, Medeiros AF (2005) The climatology of ionospheric plasma bubbles and irregularities over Brazil. Ann Geophys 23:379–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conker RS, El-Arini MB, Hegarty CJ, Hsiao T (2003) Modeling the effects of ionospheric scintillation on GPS/satellite-based augmentation system availability. Radio Sci 38:1001. doi:10.1029/2000RS002604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crain CM, Booker HG, Ferguson JA (1979) Use of refractive scattering to explain SHF scintillations. Radio Sci 14:125–134. doi:10.1029/RS014i001p00125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Paula ER, Kherani EA, Abdu MA, Batista IS, Sobral JHA, Kantor IJ, Takahashi H, Rezende LFC, Muella MTAH, Rodrigues FS, Kintner PM, Ledvina BM, Mitchell CN, Groves KM (2007) Characteristics of the ionospheric irregularities over Brazilian longitudinal sector. Indian J Radio Space Phys 36:268–277

    Google Scholar 

  • de Paula ER, Muella MTAH, Sobral JHA, Abdu MA, Batista IS, Beach TL, Groves KM (2010) Magnetic conjugate point observations of kilometer and hundred-meter scale irregularities and zonal drifts. J Geophys Res 115:A08307. doi:10.1029/2010JA015383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finlay CC, Maus S, Beggan CD, Bondar TN, Chambodut A, Chernova TA, Chulliat A, Golovkov VP, Hamilton B, Hamoudi M, Holme R, Hulot G, Kuang W, Langlais B, Lesur V, Lowes FJ, Lühr H, Macmillan S, Mandea M, McLean S, Manoj C, Menvielle M, Michaelis I, Olsen N, Rauberg J, Rother M, Sabaka TJ, Tangborn A, Tøffner-Clausen L, Thébault E, Thomson AWP, Wardinski I, Wei Z, Zvereva TI (2010) International geomagnetic reference field: the eleventh generation. Geophys J Int 183:1216–1230. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2010.04804.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson F (ed) (1961) Satellite environment handbook. Stanford University Press, Stanford

    Google Scholar 

  • Kil H, Kintner PM, de Paula ER, Kantor IJ (2000) Global positioning system measurements of the ionospheric zonal apparent velocity at Cachoeira Paulista in Brazil. J Geophys Res 105:5317–5327. doi:10.1029/1999JA000244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kil H, Kintner PM, de Paula ER, Kantor IJ (2002) Latitudinal variations of scintillation activity and zonal plasma drifts in South America. Radio Sci 37:1006. doi:10.1029/2001RS002468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kintner PM, Ledvina BM (2005) The ionosphere, radio navigation, and global navigation satellite systems. Adv Space Res 35:788–811. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2004.12.076

    Google Scholar 

  • Kintner PM, Kil H, Beach TL, de Paula ER (2001) Fading timescales associated with GPS signals and potential consequences. Radio Sci 36:731–743. doi:10.1029/1999RS002310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kintner PM, Ledvina BM, de Paula ER (2007) GPS and ionospheric scintillations. Space Weather 5:S09003. doi:10.1029/2006SW000260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ledvina BM, Kintner PM, de Paula ER (2004) Understanding spaced-receiver zonal velocity estimation. J Geophys Res 109:A10306. doi:10.1029/2004JA010489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li GZ, Ning BQ, Ren ZP, Hu LH (2010) Statistics of GPS ionospheric scintillation and irregularities over polar regions at solar minimum. GPS Solut 14:331–341. doi:10.1007/s10291-009-0156-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinis C, Eccles JV, Baumgardner J, Manzano J, Mendillo M (2003) Latitude dependence of zonal plasma drifts obtained from dual-site airglow observations. J Geophys Res 108:1129. doi:10.1029/2002JA009462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maruyama T (1988) A diagnostic model for equatorial spread-F:1. Model description and application to electric field and neutral wind effects. J Geophys Res 93:14611–14622. doi:10.1029/JA093iA12p14611

    Google Scholar 

  • Muella MTAH, de Paula ER, Kantor IJ, Batista IS, Sobral JHA, Abdu MA, Kintner PM, Groves KM, Smorigo PF (2008) GPS L-band scintillations and ionospheric irregularity zonal drifts inferred at equatorial and low-latitude regions. J Atmos Solar-Terr Phys 70:1261–1272. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2008.03.013

    Google Scholar 

  • Muella MTAH, de Paula ER, Kantor IJ, Rezende LFC, Smorigo PF (2009) Occurrence and zonal drifts of small-scale ionospheric irregularities over an equatorial station during solar maximum—Magnetic quiet and disturbed conditions. Adv Space Res 43:1957–1973. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2009.03.017

  • Muella MTAH, Kherani EA, de Paula ER, Cerruti AP, Kintner PM, Kantor IJ, Mitchell CN, Batista IS, Abdu MA (2010a) Scintillation-producing Fresnel-scale irregularities associated with the regions of steepest TEC gradients adjacent to the equatorial ionization anomaly. J Geophys Res 115:A03301. doi:10.1029/2009JA014788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muella MTAH, de Paula ER, Fagundes PR, Bittencourt JA, Sahai Y (2010b) Thermospheric meridional wind control on equatorial scintillations and the role of the evening F-region height rise, E × B drift velocities and F2-peak density gradients. Surv Geophys 31:509–530. doi:10.1007/s10712-010-9101-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olwendo JO, Cilliers PJ, Baki P, Mito C (2012) Using GPS-SCINDA observations to study the correlation between scintillation, total electron content enhancement and depletions over the Kenyan region. Adv Space Res 49:1363–1372. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2012.02.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scherliess L, Fejer BG (1999) Radar and satellite global equatorial F region vertical drift model. J Geophys Res 104:6829–6842. doi:10.1029/1999JA900025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seo J, Walter T, Enge P (2011) Availability impact on GPS aviation due to ionospheric scintillation. IEEE T Aero Ele Syst 47:1963–1973

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobral JHA, Abdu MA, Pedersen TR, Castilho VM, Arruda DCS, Muella MTAH, Batista IS, Mascarenhas M, de Paula ER, Kintner PM, Kherani EA, Medeiros AF, Buriti RA, Takahashi H, Schuch NJ, Denardini CM, Zamlutti CJ, Pimenta AA, de Souza JR, Bertoni FCP (2009) Ionospheric zonal velocities at conjugate points over Brazil during the COPEX campaign: experimental observations and theoretical validations. J Geophys Res 114:A04309. doi:10.1029/2008JA013896

  • Steenburgh RA, Smithtro CG, Groves KM (2008) Ionospheric scintillation effects on single frequency GPS. Space Weather 6:S04D02. doi:10.1029/2007SW000340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stolle C, Lühr H, Fejer BG (2008) Relation between the occurrence rate of ESF and the equatorial vertical plasma drift velocity at sunset derived from global observations. Ann Geophys 26:3979–3988

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warnant R, Foelsche U, Aquino M, Bidaine B, Gherm V, Hoque MM, Kutiev I, Lejeune S, Luntama JP, Spits J, Strangeways HJ, Wautelet G, Zernov N, Jakowski N (2009) Mitigation of ionospheric effects on GNSS. Ann Geofis 52:373–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiens RH, Ledvina BM, Kintner PM, Afewerki M, Mulugheta Z (2006) Equatorial plasma bubbles in the ionosphere over Eritrea: occurrence and drift speed. Ann Geophys 24:1443–1453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zou YH, Wang DL (2009) A study of GPS ionospheric scintillations observed at Guilin. J Atmos Solar-Terr Phys 71:1948–1958. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2009.08.005

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) under projects No. 308017/2011-0 and 455604/2010-0, and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) under processes No. 2008/04892-5 and 2010/03545-0. The authors thank Valdir Pillat for the support given in handling the LION model.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Física e Astronomia, IP&D, Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, 12244-000, Brazil

    Marcio T. A. H. Muella & Alan A. Monteiro

  2. Divisão de Aeronomia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, 12227-010, Brazil

    Eurico R. de Paula

Authors
  1. Marcio T. A. H. Muella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eurico R. de Paula
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alan A. Monteiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcio T. A. H. Muella.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muella, M.T.A.H., de Paula, E.R. & Monteiro, A.A. Ionospheric Scintillation and Dynamics of Fresnel-Scale Irregularities in the Inner Region of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly. Surv Geophys 34, 233–251 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-012-9212-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-012-9212-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation