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Abstract. The ionospheric slab thickness τ defined as a ratio of the total electron content (TEC) to the F-region peak electron density (NmF2) has been analysed during the solar maximum (1981) and minimum (1985) phases of an intense, the 21st, solar cycle. Hourly values of TEC and NmF2 collected at Hawaii (low-latitude), Boulder (mid-latitude) and Goosebay (high-latitude) are used in the study. Climatology of the slab thickness is described by the diurnal, seasonal, solar and magnetic activity variations of τ for the different latitude zones. It is found that, for magnetically quiet days of solar maximum, increased ionization of NmF2 and TEC during the daytime is accompanied by an increased thickness of the ionosphere compared to the night-time for non-auroral latitudes. However, the reverse is found to be true during the solar minimum compensating TEC against a weak nighttime ionization of NmF2. For the high-latitude the night-time slab thickness is higher compared to the daytime for both the solar phases. Ratios of daily peak to minimum values of slab thickness vary from 1.3 to 3.75 with the peaks of τ often observed at pre-sunrise and post-sunset hours. The average night-to-day ratios of τ vary from 0.68 to 2.23. The day-today variability of τ , expressed in percentage standard deviation, varies from 10% by day (equinox, high-latitude) to 67% by night (summer, mid-latitude) during solar minimum and from 10% by day (winter and equinox, mid-latitude) to 56% by night (equinox, high-latitude) during solar maximum. A comprehensive review of slab thickness related literature is given in the paper.

The relative importance of height, vertical drift velocity, and electron density gradient of the postsunset bottomside (5.5 MHz) equatorial Fregion for the onset of spread Fis studied using simultaneous HF Doppler radar and ionosonde observations. The study conducted for the periods January-March of 1984 and 1985 shows that the height of the F layer, determined by the time history of the prereversal enhancement of the drift velocity, is the deciding factor for the onset of equatorial spread F (ESF) with little contribution from the electron density gradient. Maximum growth rate of linear collisional Rayleigh-Taylor instability occurs at the time of peak height rather than at the time of peak velocity confirming that, for the onset of ESF, the layer should attain a threshold height. The threshold (group) height of the 5.5 MHz layer falls from ~450 km in 1984 (mean F10.7 equals 120) to ~350 km in 1985 (mean F10.7 equals 70); the corresponding evening peak upward drift velocities decrease from about 30 m s -1 in 1984 to about 20 m s -1 in 1985. The significant fall of the thresholds with the declining solar activity is due to the decrease in the ion-neutral collision frequency with declining solar activity; the fall of the thresholds is reflected in large decreases in the intensity and duration of the spread F. the hydrodynamic instability associated with a heavy 13,741 13,742 •AYACHANDRAN ET AL.' ONSET OF EQUATORIAL SPREAD F fluid resting on top of a light fluid) causes linear growth of irregularities in the bottomside F region, which, in turn, cause plasma density depletions or plasma bubbles. The bubbles then rise nonlinearly to the topside by the enhanced E x B drift. The bubble development is in accord with many observations [Woodman and La Hoz, 1976; Aggson et al., 1992].

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