Improving High Latitude Ionosphere Numerical Assimilation Model IDA4D
Abstract
The objective of this proposed effort is to introduce GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) measurements as a new data source to improve the performance of high latitude ionosphere model. The high latitude ionosphere is home to a wealth of multi-scale plasma structures.These multi-scale ionospheric irregularities impact satellite orbits, communication and radio navigation systems, space exploration, and other civil and military applications. Observations of the evolving ionospheric plasma structure are essential for advancingunderstanding of the coupling processes, identifying drivers, and developing space weather nowcasting and forecasting systems. However, large data gaps exist at high latitude due to sparsity of instruments over oceans, polar caps, inaccessible terrains, and politically restricted territories. Satellite-based in-situ measurements and GNSS radio occultation (RO) have not been able to resolve this data gap issue due to their limited spatial sampling. Our recent research found that GNSS signals reflected over ice and calm water surfaces and received by low-cost LEO CubeSats are sufficiently coherent and strong to produce high precision range measurements. Dual-frequency reflection signals can be used to derive total electron content (TEC) at sub-TECu precision and to observe scintillation. This proposed effort will simulate and make use of real GNSS-R measurements obtained by Spire Global CubeSats in Arctic and Antarctic. The GNSS-R measurements will be integrated into the Ionospheric Data Assimilation Four-Dimensional (IDA4D) model, a numerical assimilative model that describes time-evolving 3-dimnsional ionosphere electron density distributions. Ground-based GNSS receivers and GNSS-RO measurements from COSMIC-2 and NASA#s commercial small satellite data acquisition program will also be ingestedinto the IDA4D model. The resulting model will be validated using ground-based and spaceborne instrument measurements such as incoherent scatter radars, digisondes, GNSS receivers, in situ samplings, etc. The goal is to capture and characterize high resolution ionospheric structures propagation in space and time which will advance understanding of the coupling processes and drivers that create multi-scale high latitude ionospheric plasma structures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 12, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312145
Entities
People
- Yu Morton
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Regents of the University of Colorado
- United States Navy