Introduction

Vertical Soundings (Ionograms) 

History

Definition of Structure

Dynasonde

Catalog of Characteristics

Ionospheric Related Models

Ionospheric Indices (defined)

Scintillation Predictions

HF Radio Interest

Click here for a demo of the
diurnal variation in the ionosphere

Ionospheric Data Archived at NGDC

The Ionospheric Physics Group of NGDC operates the Ionosphere portion of the World Data Center for Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Boulder, which seeks out and archives data, data products, and information related to the Ionosphere. Most of the current effort at NGDC is in the Ionospheric Vertical Incidence Sounding discipline. NGDC is currently leading the effort to collect, quality control, and distribute a unified dataset of vertical sounding scaled parameters on CD-ROM.

New — The NOAA Space Environment Center, NOAA National Geodetic Survey, and NOAA National Geophysical Data Center announce new experimental ionosphere products to help emergency managers and other users quickly assess the effects of solar storms on Global Positioning System applications (GPS). The US Total Electron Content (USTEC) product, developed by SEC in collaboration with NGS and the University of Colorado, is in experimental review through March 22, 2005. The near-real time product is available from SEC. The past products and source data are available from NGDC.

This Ionospheric Digital Database will be shared with other data centers, contributors, and customers who express an interest in these data. Information on these datasets can be accessed through the World Wide Web and Anonymous ftp.

Locations with Ionosphere Data Archives

• WDCB in Moscow, WDC1 in England, WDC2 in Japan, & IPS in Australia.
• International Union Of Radio Science (URSI )
• Real-Time Ionospheric foF2 data from SEC in Boulder - Last Two Days ---- Last Three Months

What's new in the Ionosphere?

• Space Physics Interactive Data Resource (SPIDR) has been updated. SPIDR is a tool for the user to interactively search, browse, and access space weather datasets. Plots of all popular ionospheric characteristics (including Dudeney's true height of the maximum electron density - hc), maximum electron density contour maps and Data Delivery. Ionospheric characteristics can be selected by geographic location, station name or by event and downloaded to our ftp anonymous site or directly to your computer. SPIDR also includes most of the data disciplines archived at NGDC (DMSP and GOES satellite, Solar, Cosmic Rays and Geomagnetic data).
• Ionospheric Digital Database Worldwide Vertical Incidence Parameters CD-ROM Dataset
• List of Ionosonde Stations
• Space Weather Indices
• Glossary of Solar Terrestrial Terms
• Effective Sunspot Number (based on foF2)
• IF2 and IG indices of solar activity
• Vertical Ionograms

Interesting Ionosphere Links

References: