volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

This paper discusses the variation of ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) over low latitude Indian region, Hyderabad station (Lat: 17.39^oN, Lon: 78.31^oE) for geomagnetic quiet and disturbed days during the low solar activity period (2017 year) of the 24th solar cycle using global ionospheric models and experimental NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) data. The work mainly focuses on the performance of the IRI Plas 2017 (International Reference Ionosphere) model with and without assimilation of TEC input, GIM TEC (Global Ionospheric Maps) and IRI 2016 models. In order to evaluate the performance of the models, the diurnal, monthly, and seasonal variations of Vertical TEC (VTEC) are predicted and compared with Indian regional NavIC data. From the result analysis it is observed that smaller Root Mean Square Errors (RMSEs) between NavIC VTEC and modelled VTEC are found in June and December solstice months than March and September equinox months. The VTEC predicted by the IRI Plas with assimilation of TEC input option produced smaller estimation errors than IRI Plas without assimilation of TEC input and IRI 2016 model. The same analysis has been tested for geomagnetic storm occurred during 7-9 September, 2017 for different locations. The IRI Plas 2017 with TEC input option exhibits better performance than IRI Plas and IRI 2016 models. Therefore, the VTEC predictions by assimilation of optional inputs will be helpful in applications of ionspheric studies to predict the dynamics in the ionosphere particularly for the period of disturbed geomagnetic conditions.

1. Ganeshan, A. S., et al. "Indian regional navigation satellite system (IRNSS) concept," J. Spacecraft Technol., Vol. 15, No. 2, 19-23, 2005.

2. Moffett, R. J., et al. "Effect of ionization transport on the equatorial F-region," Nature, Vol. 206, 705-706, 1965.
doi:10.1038/206705a0

3. Tariku, Y. A., "TEC prediction performance of IRI-2012 model during a very low and a high solar activity phase over equatorial regions Uganda," J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys., Vol. 120, 5973-5982, 2015.
doi:10.1002/2015JA021203

4. Srinivas, V. S., et al. "Modeling of ionospheric time delay using anisotropic IDW with Jackknife technique," IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., Vol. 54, No. 1, 513-519, 2016.
doi:10.1109/TGRS.2015.2461017

5. Sivavaraprasad, G., et al. "Detection of ionospheric anomalies during intense space weather over a low-latitude GNSS station," Acta Geod. Geophys., Vol. 52, No. 4, 535-553, 2017.
doi:10.1007/s40328-016-0190-4

6. Venkata Ratnam, D., et al. "Analysis of ionosphere variability over low-latitude GNSS stations during 24th solar maximum period," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 60, No. 2, 419-434, 2017.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2016.08.041

7. Rama Rao, P. V. S., et al. "Temporal and spatial variations in TEC using simultaneous measurements from the Indian GPS network of receivers during the low solar activity period of 2004-2005," Ann. Geophys., Vol. 24, 3279-3292, 2006.
doi:10.5194/angeo-24-3279-2006

8. Kumar, S., et al. "Validation of the IRI-2012 model with GPS-based ground observation over a low-latitude Singapore station," Earth, Planets Sp., Vol. 66, No. 1, 1-10, 2014.
doi:10.1186/1880-5981-66-1

9. Srinivas, V. S., et al. "Performance evaluation of IRI-2007 at equatorial latitudes and its Matlab version for GNSS applications," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 52, No. 10, 1845-1858, 2013.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2012.12.002

10. Naveen Kumar, P., et al. "Modelling of ionospheric time delay of Global Positioning System (GPS) signals using Taylor series expansion for GPS aided geo augmented navigation applications," IET Radar Sonar Navig., Vol. 8, No. 9, 1081-1090, 2014.
doi:10.1049/iet-rsn.2013.0351

11. Kavitha, D., et al. "Validation of the IRI-2016 model with Indian NavIC data for future navigation applications," IET Radar Sonar Navig., Vol. 15, No. 1, 37-50, 2021.
doi:10.1049/rsn2.12013

12. Acharya, R., et al. "Comparison of observed vertical TEC over the sea in Indian region with IRI-2016 model," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 63, No. 6, 1892-1904, 2019.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2018.10.049

13. Kavitha, D., et al. "Comparison of VTEC due to IRI-2016 model and IRNSS over low latitude region," India Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020, 320-326, 2020.

14. Bilitza, D., et al. "International reference ionosphere 2007 Improvements and new parameters," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 42, No. 2, 599-609, 2008.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2007.07.048

15. Bilitza, D., "International reference ionosphere 1990,", Rep. 90-22, National Space Science Data Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA, 1990.

16. Bilitza, D., "International reference ionosphere 2000," Radio Sci., Vol. 36, 261-275, 2001.
doi:10.1029/2000RS002432

17. Bilitza, D., et al. "International reference ionosphere 2007 improvements and new parameters," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 42, No. 4, 599, 2008.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2007.07.048

18. Bilitza, D., et al. "The international reference ionosphere 2012 --- A model of international collaboration," J. Space Weather Space Clim., Vol. 4, No. A07, 2014.

19. Bilitza, D., et al. "International reference ionosphere 2016 from ionospheric climate to real-time weather predictions," Space Weath., Vol. 15, No. 2, 418-429, 2017.
doi:10.1002/2016SW001593

20. Gulyaeva, T. L., et al. "Plasmaspheric extension of topside electron density profiles," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 29, No. 6, 825-831, 2002.
doi:10.1016/S0273-1177(02)00038-8

21. Sezen, U., et al. "Geodesy and geodynamics online computation of international reference ionosphere extended to plasmasphere (IRI-Plas) model for space weather," Geod. Geodyn., Vol. 9, No. 5, 347-357, 2018.
doi:10.1016/j.geog.2018.06.004

22. Zakharenkova, I. E., et al. "Vertical TEC representation by IRI 2012 and IRI Plas models for European midlatitudes," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 55, 2070-2076, 2015.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2014.07.027

23. Adebiyi, S. J., et al. "Assessment of IRI and IRI Plas models over the African equatorial and low-latitude region," J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 121, 7287-7300, 2016.
doi:10.1002/2016JA022697

24. Ezquer, R. G., et al. "NeQuick 2 and IRI Plas VTEC predictions for low latitude and South American sector," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 61, No. 7, 1803-1818, 2018.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2017.10.003

25. Okoh, D., et al. "Assessment of the NeQuick-2 and IRI-Plas 2017 models using global and long-term GNSS measurements," Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 170, 1-10, 2018.
doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2018.02.006

26. Sezen, U., et al. "Online, automatic, near-real time estimation of GPS-TEC: IONOLAB-TEC," Space Weather, Vol. 11, 297-305, 2013.
doi:10.1002/swe.20054

27. Sezen, U., et al. "Estimation of hmF2 and foF2 communication parameters of ionosphere F2-layer using GPS data and IRI-Plas model," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 61, 5264-5273, 2013.
doi:10.1109/TAP.2013.2275153

28. Gulyaeva, T. L., "Linkage of the ionospheric peak electron density and height deduced from the topside sounding data," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 43, 1794-1799, 2009.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2008.08.015

29. Adebiyi, S. J., et al. "Performance evaluation of GIM-TEC assimilation of the IRI-Plas model at two equatorial stations in the American sector," Space Weather, Vol. 15, 726-736, 2017.
doi:10.1002/2017SW001596

30. Durga Reddybattula, K., et al. "Performance analysis of quiet and disturbed time ionospheric TEC responses from GPS-based observations, IGS-GIM, IRI-2016 and SPIM/IRI-Plas 2017 models over the low latitude Indian region," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 64, No. 10, 2026-2045, 2019.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2019.03.034

31. Hofmann-Wellenhof, B., H. Lichtenegger, and J. Collins, Global Positioning System: Theory and Practice, Springer-Verlag, New York, 2001, ISBN 978-3-211-83534-0.
doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-6199-9

32. Kaplan, E. D. and C. Hegarty, Understanding GPS: Principles and Applications, Artech House, Boston, 2006.

33. Maltseva, O. A., et al. "Comparative analysis of two new empirical models IRI-Plas and NGM (the Neustrelitz global model)," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 55, No. 8, 2086-2098, 2015.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2014.09.027

34. Desai, M. V., et al. "The GIVE ionospheric delay correction approach to improve positional accuracy of NavIC/IRNSS single-frequency receiver," Current Science, Vol. 114, No. 8, 1665-1676, 2018.
doi:10.18520/cs/v114/i08/1665-1676

35. Desai, M. V., et al. "Estimation of ionospheric delay of NavIC/IRNSS signals using the Taylor series expansion," Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, Vol. 9, 1-17, 2019.

36. Mukesh, R., et al. "Analysis of signal strength, satellite visibility, position accuracy and ionospheric TEC estimation of IRNSS," Astrophys. Space Sci., Vol. 364, No. 11, 1-34, 2019.
doi:10.1007/s10509-019-3676-z

37. Panda, S. K., et al. "Study of ionospheric TEC from GPS observations and comparisons with IRI and SPIM model predictions in the low latitude anomaly Indian subcontinental region," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 55, No. 8, 1948-1964, 2015.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2014.09.004

38. Zakharenkova, I. E., et al. "Vertical TEC representation by IRI 2012 and IRI Plas models for European midlatitudes," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 55, 2070-2076, 2015.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2014.07.027

39. Wu, C. C., et al. "Annual TEC variation in the equatorial anomaly region during the solar minimum: September 1996--August 1997," J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., Vol. 66, 199-207, 2004.
doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2003.09.017

40. Bhuyan, P. K., et al. "TEC derived from GPS network in India and comparison with IRI," Adv. Space Res., Vol. 39, No. 5, 830-840, 2007.
doi:10.1016/j.asr.2006.12.042

Mrs. Devireddy Kavitha

Dr. Perumalla Naveen Kumar