Validation of COSMIC-2-Derived Ionospheric Peak Parameters Using Measurements of Ionosondes

Shuangshuang Shi; Wang Li; Kefei Zhang; Suqin Wu; Jiaqi Shi; Fucheng Song; Peng Sun

doi:10.3390/rs13214238

Remote Sensing (Oct 2021)

Validation of COSMIC-2-Derived Ionospheric Peak Parameters Using Measurements of Ionosondes

Shuangshuang Shi,
Wang Li,
Kefei Zhang,
Suqin Wu,
Jiaqi Shi,
Fucheng Song,
Peng Sun

Affiliations

Shuangshuang Shi: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Wang Li: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Kefei Zhang: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Suqin Wu: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Jiaqi Shi: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Fucheng Song: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
Peng Sun: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13214238
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 21
p. 4238

Abstract

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Although numerous validations for the ionospheric peak parameters values (IPPVs) obtained from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) have been conducted using ionosonde measurements as a reference, comprehensive evaluations of the quality of the COSMIC-2 data are still undesirable, especially under geomagnetic storm conditions. In this study, the IPPVs measured by ionosondes (Ramey, Boa Vista, Sao Luis, Jicamarca, Cachoeira Paulista, and Santa Maria) during the period 1 October 2019 to 31 August 2021, are used to evaluate the quality of COSMIC-2 data over low-latitude regions of the Americas. The results show that the NmF2 (hmF2) from COSMIC-2 agrees well with the ionosonde measurements, and the correlation coefficients for the two sets of data at the above six stations are 0.93 (0.84), 0.91 (0.85), 0.91 (0.88), 0.88 (0.79), 0.96 (0.83), and 0.96 (0.87), respectively. The data quality of COSMIC-2 derived NmF2 is largely dependent on geomagnetic latitude. It was also found that NmF2 derived from COSMIC-2 tends to be underestimated over the stations in Boa Vista and Cachoeira Paulista, which are close to the crests of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), whilst that of the other stations is slightly overestimated. A comparison between COSMIC-measured and ionosonde-derived hmF2 indicates that the former is systematically higher than the latter. In addition, the differences in the two NmF2 datasets derived from COSMIC-2 and ionosonde measurements at night are generally smaller than those of daytime, when the EIA is well developed, and vice versa for hmF2, whose RMSE is slightly smaller during daytime (with the exception of Ramey). Furthermore, NmF2 obtained from COSMIC-2 is shown to perform best in summer at Ramey, Boa Vista, Sao Luis, and Santa Maria, best in winter at Jicamarca and Cachoeira Paulista. Finally, the COSMIC-2 electron densities capture the ionospheric dynamic enhancements under a moderate geomagnetic storm condition very well.

Published in Remote Sensing

ISSN: 2072-4292 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/

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