On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model Validation
Abstract Prior to use in operational systems, it is essential to validate ionospheric models in a manner relevant to their intended application to ensure satisfactory performance. For Over‐the‐Horizon radars (OTHR) operating in the high‐frequency (HF) band (3–30 MHz), the problem of model validation...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Space Weather |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW003916 |
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| author | Joshua J. Ruck David R. Themens Pasha Ponomarenko Angeline G. Burrell Bharat Kunduri J. Michael Ruohoniemi Sean Elvidge |
| author_facet | Joshua J. Ruck David R. Themens Pasha Ponomarenko Angeline G. Burrell Bharat Kunduri J. Michael Ruohoniemi Sean Elvidge |
| author_sort | Joshua J. Ruck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Prior to use in operational systems, it is essential to validate ionospheric models in a manner relevant to their intended application to ensure satisfactory performance. For Over‐the‐Horizon radars (OTHR) operating in the high‐frequency (HF) band (3–30 MHz), the problem of model validation is severe when used in Coordinate Registration (CR) and Frequency Management Systems (FMS). It is imperative that the full error characteristics of models is well understood in these applications due to the critical relationship they impose on system performance. To better understand model performance in the context of OTHR, we introduce an ionospheric model validation technique using the oblique ground backscatter measurements in soundings from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN). Analysis is performed in terms of the F‐region leading edge (LE) errors and assessment of range‐elevation distributions using calibrated interferometer data. This technique is demonstrated by validating the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) 2016 for January and June in both 2014 and 2018. LE RMS errors of 100–400 km and 400–800 km are observed for winter and summer months, respectively. Evening errors regularly exceeding 1,000 km across all months are identified. Ionosonde driven corrections to the IRI‐2016 peak parameters provide improvements of 200–800 km to the LE, with the greatest improvements observed during the nighttime. Diagnostics of echo distributions indicate consistent underestimates in model NmF2 during the daytime hours of June 2014 due to offsets of −8° being observed in modeled elevation angles at 18:00 and 21:00 UT. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cfa254e722fd42188bcb1a2a3066c06e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1542-7390 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Space Weather |
| spelling | doaj-art-cfa254e722fd42188bcb1a2a3066c06e2025-01-14T16:35:30ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902024-09-01229n/an/a10.1029/2024SW003916On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model ValidationJoshua J. Ruck0David R. Themens1Pasha Ponomarenko2Angeline G. Burrell3Bharat Kunduri4J. Michael Ruohoniemi5Sean Elvidge6Space Environment and Radio Engineering (SERENE) Group School of Engineering University of Birmingham Birmingham UKSpace Environment and Radio Engineering (SERENE) Group School of Engineering University of Birmingham Birmingham UKInstitute of Space and Atmospheric Studies University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK CanadaSpace Science Division US Naval Research Laboratory Washington DC USABradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USABradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USASpace Environment and Radio Engineering (SERENE) Group School of Engineering University of Birmingham Birmingham UKAbstract Prior to use in operational systems, it is essential to validate ionospheric models in a manner relevant to their intended application to ensure satisfactory performance. For Over‐the‐Horizon radars (OTHR) operating in the high‐frequency (HF) band (3–30 MHz), the problem of model validation is severe when used in Coordinate Registration (CR) and Frequency Management Systems (FMS). It is imperative that the full error characteristics of models is well understood in these applications due to the critical relationship they impose on system performance. To better understand model performance in the context of OTHR, we introduce an ionospheric model validation technique using the oblique ground backscatter measurements in soundings from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN). Analysis is performed in terms of the F‐region leading edge (LE) errors and assessment of range‐elevation distributions using calibrated interferometer data. This technique is demonstrated by validating the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) 2016 for January and June in both 2014 and 2018. LE RMS errors of 100–400 km and 400–800 km are observed for winter and summer months, respectively. Evening errors regularly exceeding 1,000 km across all months are identified. Ionosonde driven corrections to the IRI‐2016 peak parameters provide improvements of 200–800 km to the LE, with the greatest improvements observed during the nighttime. Diagnostics of echo distributions indicate consistent underestimates in model NmF2 during the daytime hours of June 2014 due to offsets of −8° being observed in modeled elevation angles at 18:00 and 21:00 UT.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW003916SuperDARNionospherevalidationbackscatterradarmodel |
| spellingShingle | Joshua J. Ruck David R. Themens Pasha Ponomarenko Angeline G. Burrell Bharat Kunduri J. Michael Ruohoniemi Sean Elvidge On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model Validation Space Weather SuperDARN ionosphere validation backscatter radar model |
| title | On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model Validation |
| title_full | On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model Validation |
| title_fullStr | On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model Validation |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model Validation |
| title_short | On the Use of SuperDARN Ground Backscatter Measurements for Ionospheric Propagation Model Validation |
| title_sort | on the use of superdarn ground backscatter measurements for ionospheric propagation model validation |
| topic | SuperDARN ionosphere validation backscatter radar model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024SW003916 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joshuajruck ontheuseofsuperdarngroundbackscattermeasurementsforionosphericpropagationmodelvalidation AT davidrthemens ontheuseofsuperdarngroundbackscattermeasurementsforionosphericpropagationmodelvalidation AT pashaponomarenko ontheuseofsuperdarngroundbackscattermeasurementsforionosphericpropagationmodelvalidation AT angelinegburrell ontheuseofsuperdarngroundbackscattermeasurementsforionosphericpropagationmodelvalidation AT bharatkunduri ontheuseofsuperdarngroundbackscattermeasurementsforionosphericpropagationmodelvalidation AT jmichaelruohoniemi ontheuseofsuperdarngroundbackscattermeasurementsforionosphericpropagationmodelvalidation AT seanelvidge ontheuseofsuperdarngroundbackscattermeasurementsforionosphericpropagationmodelvalidation |