Validating IRI-2016 for quiet-time F2-region peak electron density height (hmF2) at different latitudes during moderate solar activity

Adeniyi, J.O. and Adebesin, B.O. and Ikubanni, S.O. and Adebiyi, S.J. and Adekoya, B. J. and Babatunde, J.G. (2021) Validating IRI-2016 for quiet-time F2-region peak electron density height (hmF2) at different latitudes during moderate solar activity. Advances in Space Research, 68. pp. 1366-1376.

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Abstract

The height of the peak electron density (hmF2) is crucial in the study of some ionospheric electrodynamics and for high frequency (HF) radio communication circuit planning. We validated the three hmF2 model options of the 2016 version of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) with data from three ionosonde stations, each from different latitudinal ranges. The recent options: Altadill-Magdaleno-Torta-Blanch (AMTB2013) and SHUbin (SHU-2015), seem to be better than the previous one – Bilitza-Sheikh-Eyfrig (BSE-1979), particularly at low- and mid-latitudes. Despite the identified limitations in literature, BSE-1979 seems to be better at some periods and regions, particularly at the mid-latitude and high latitude in the nighttime. The three different options exhibit varying strengths and weaknesses depending on the period of the day, the season, and latitude. The observations suggest that BSE-1979 have important roles to play in hmF2 modeling and that the approach of modeling hmF2 from observed M(3000)F2 cannot be entirely jettisoned. Hence, there is a need for a robust ionosonde-derived hmF2 and M(3000)F2 database, for improved modeling efforts.

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