VLF atmospherics as a tool for probing VLF propagation conditions
Abstract
A technique for receiving and analyzing atmospherics signals and for deriving the VLF-propagation conditions is described. The equipment consists mainly of a receiver/analyzer with an on-line desktop computer. The computer controls the observations and analyses the received parameters in real time, so that the results, e.g., the reference height of the lower ionosphere or the strengths and locations of the thunderstorm activity centers, can be printed out immediately or displayed on a world map with a small desktop plotter. The data are also stored on magnetic tape cassettes. These measurements are used to investigate the short and long-term as well as the local and global behavior of the lightning activity and the VLF-propagation conditions and to elucidate their correlation to atmospheric electric and possibly also external (e.g. solar) parameters. Some results of the measurements, including statistical analyses of the received parameters and typical real time plot charts are shown to demonstrate the methods and capabilities of the present system.
- Publication:
-
In AGARD Medium
- Pub Date:
- February 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982mlvl.agarQ....S
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospherics;
- Histograms;
- Ionospheric Sounding;
- Radio Transmission;
- Very Low Frequencies;
- Computer Techniques;
- Lightning;
- Plotting;
- Real Time Operation;
- Statistical Analysis;
- Thunderstorms;
- Communications and Radar