This work presents a contribution to the understanding of the ionospheric triggering of L-band scintillation in the region over São Paulo state in Brazil, under high solar activity. In particular, a climatological analysis of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data acquired in 2012 is presented to highlight the relationship between intensity and variability of the total electron content (TEC) gradients and the occurrence of ionospheric scintillation. The analysis is based on the GNSS data acquired by a dense distribution of receivers and exploits the integration of a dedicated TEC calibration technique into the Ground Based Scintillation Climatology (GBSC), previously developed at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. Such integration enables representing the local ionospheric features through climatological maps of calibrated TEC and TEC gradients and of amplitude scintillation occurrence. The disentanglement of the contribution to the TEC variations due to zonal and meridional gradients conveys insight into the relation between the scintillation occurrence and the morphology of the TEC variability. The importance of the information provided by the TEC gradients variability and the role of the meridional TEC gradients in driving scintillation are critically described.

No abstract

[1] The performances of Autoscala and ARTIST 4.5 were comparatively evaluated using a large database of 6098 ionograms recorded from September 2005 to June 2006 by the digisonde DPS4 at the Rome ionospheric station. Results of comparisons between automatically and manually scaled data are shown for both programs highlighting the different behaviors. The Autoscala and ARTIST 4.5 values of foF2 and MUF(3000)F2 both agree with the hand-scaled values for $95% of ionograms. For the other $5% of ionograms, which the manual scaler classed as unscalable, ARTIST 4.5 usually gave invalid results, whereas Autoscala usually gave no result. The data recorded by the ionosondes DPS4 (interpreted by ARTIST 4.5) and AIS-INGV (interpreted by Autoscala) during three geomagnetic storms were also analyzed. Ionograms with typical errors both for Autoscala and ARTIST 4.5 are displayed.

The geomagnetic storm that occurred on 25 August 25 2018, that is, during the minimum of solar cycle 24, is currently the strongest ever probed by the first China Seismo‐Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES‐01). By integrating the in situ measurements provided by CSES‐01 (orbiting at altitude of 507 km) and by Swarm A satellite (orbiting at ca., 460 km) with ground‐based observations (ionosondes, magnetometers, and Global Navigation Satellite System receivers), we investigate the ionospheric response at lower‐ and mid‐latitudes over Brazil. Specifically, we investigate the electrodynamic disturbances driven by solar wind changes, by focusing on the disturbances driving modifications of the equatorial electrojet (EEJ). Our proposed multisensor technique analysis mainly highlights the variations in the topside and bottomside ionosphere, and the interplay between prompt penetrating electric fields and disturbance dynamo electric fields resulting in EEJ variations. Thanks to this approach and leveraging on the newly available CSES‐01 data, we complement and extend what recently investigated in the Western South American sector, by highlighting the significant longitudinal differences, which mainly come from the occurrence of a daytime counter‐EEJ during both 25 and 26 August at Braziliian longitudes and during part of 26 August only in the Peruvian sector. In addition, the increased thermospheric circulation driven by the storm has an impact on the EEJ during the recovery phase of the storm. The observations at the CSES‐01/Swarm altitudes integrated with the ground‐based observation recorded signatures of equatorial ionospheric anomaly crests formation and modification during daytime coupled with the positive ionospheric storm effects at midlatitude.

No abstract