Retrieval of the Ionospheric Disturbance Dynamics Based on Quasi-Vertical and Vertical Ionospheric Sounding

Abstract

We devised and tested a method for retrieval of the direction of motion of the ionospheric disturbance front in space at the time of its simultaneous record by three ionosondes. Dynamics of the disturbance front motion in altitude is tracked by plasma frequency variations. Vertical and horizontal components of the disturbance front velocity are evaluated. Periods and wavelengths of the ionospheric disturbance waves are determined. For the retrieval, we took the most frequently observed type of ionospheric disturbance in April 2010. The data of the quasi-vertical sounding on the Usolie—Tory path and vertical ionosondes in Tory and Irkutsk were used. ‘