Automatic electron density profiles from digital ionograms
Abstract
Over-the-horizon HF radar detection and sea state monitoring require fairly precise knowledge of the ionospheric reflection point. Automatic scaling of ionograms and calculation of the vertical electron density profile can provide the reflection point characteristics in real time if adequate ionosondes are available at the expected mid-points. The automatic scaling algorithm developed at the University of Lowell extracts the E and F region traces from Digisonde ionograms without any human intervention and automatically produces the corresponding electron density profiles. The algorithm was tested on several thousand Digisonde ionograms covering the four seasons, day, night, quiet and disturbed conditions, as observed at the AFGL Ionospheric Observatory, Goose Bay, Labrador. All important ionospheric parameters are automatically retrieved: foF2, foF1, fminF, MUF(3000), M(3000), range spread, frequency spread, h'F, h'F2, foE, foEs, fminE, h'Es, and signal amplitude as function of frequency. The electron density profile algorithm uses a polynomial profile-fitting method and is part of the automatic procedure.
- Publication:
-
In AGARD Propagation Factors Affecting Remote Sensing by Radio Waves 11 p (SEE N84-15646 06-43
- Pub Date:
- August 1983
- Bibcode:
- 1983pfar.agarR....R
- Keywords:
-
- Ionograms;
- Ionospheric Electron Density;
- Ionospheric Propagation;
- Over-The-Horizon Radar;
- Radar Measurement;
- Real Time Operation;
- Sea States;
- Algorithms;
- Digital Techniques;
- High Resolution;
- Ionosondes;
- Scaling Laws;
- Communications and Radar