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Analyzing the Effects of Tropical Cyclone on Critical Frequency of the F 2-Region Ionosphere in South Pacific Region

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Abstract

South Pacific countries are prone to climate change, cyclones, earthquakes, drought and other natural disasters. The ionosphere is used for communications and reporting space weather in the South Pacific region hence, its variations must be thoroughly studied. The effects of tropical cyclones (TCs) on the critical frequency (foF 2) of the F 2-region ionosphere, for four selected TCs, in the South Pacific region were studied. The ionosonde stations to which TCs passed within 500 kilometers, were selected. Out of four TCs, two passed near Tahiti (French Polynesia) ionosonde station, one near Papua New Guinea and one near Rarotonga (Cook Islands) ionosonde station. The behavior of foF 2 has been analyzed 2–4 days before the TC, during the days TC and 2–4 days after the cyclone. The actual foF 2 values were compared with the mean and standard deviation of geomagnetically quiet days by eliminating the most disturbed days. The results showed that the foF 2 varied before, during and after the TC. These variations were also noted during geomagnetic quiet days hence, it was clear that the foF 2 variations were due to the TCs. Acoustic gravity waves played an important part in the variation of foF 2 during the selected TCs in the South Pacific region.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author is thankful for financial support under the research grant FSTER/2015/56 by The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, under which this work has been carried out. Also the author is thankful to Professor Sushil Kumar of The University of the South Pacific, Fiji for his guidance and advice.

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  1. School of Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Physics, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji

    Ashneel Sharan

  2. College of Science & Engineering, James Cook University, 4811, Queensland, Australia

    Ashneel Sharan

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Correspondence to Ashneel Sharan.

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Ashneel Sharan Analyzing the Effects of Tropical Cyclone on Critical Frequency of the F 2-Region Ionosphere in South Pacific Region. Geomagn. Aeron. 62 (Suppl 1), S128–S141 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016793222600175

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