[1] The daily averaged Solar EUV Monitor (SEM)/Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) EUV measurements, solar proxies, and foF2 data at 20 ionosonde stations in the east Asia/Australia sector are collected to investigate the solar activity dependences of the ionospheric peak electron density (NmF2). The intensities of solar EUV from the SEM/ SOHO measurements from 1996 to 2005 show a nonlinear relationship with F107, and the SEM/SOHO EUV can be better represented by a solar activity factor P = (F107 + F107A)/2. Seasonal and latitudinal dependences are found in the solar activity variation of NmF2 in the east Asia/Australian sector. The slope of NmF2 with P in the linear segment further shows similar annual variations as the background electron densities at moderate solar activity. Observations show a nonlinear dependence of NmF2 on solar EUV (the saturation effect of NmF2 for high solar EUV). On the basis of a simple model of photochemistry, taking the neutral atmospheric consequences into account, calculations at fixed height simulate the saturation effect of NmF2, but the observed change rate of NmF2 with P is inadequately reproduced. Calculations taking into account the influence of dynamics (via a simple model of the solar EUV dependence of the ionospheric height) tend to reproduce the observed change rate of NmF2. Results indicate that besides solar EUV changes, the influence of dynamics and the atmospheric consequences should substantially contribute to the solar activity variations of NmF2.

[1] More than two years of COSMIC electron density profiles at low solar activities are collected to study the evolution of the Weddell Sea Anomaly (WSA), which appears as an evening enhancement in electron density during local summer. Observations show that the change in NmF2 (the F2 peak electron density) is associated with the change in hmF2 (the F2 peak height), while the latter is correlated closely with the components of the geomagnetic field. We find that (1) in the afternoon, hmF2 is more liable to rise drastically in regions with a larger jsin(2I)j value, which would occur early at certain declinations, eastward in the southern hemisphere and westward in the northern hemisphere; (2) subsequently, a larger increment of hmF2 is coincidentally followed by a stronger enhancement of NmF2 and the enhancement ends just around the local sunset; and (3) in midlatitudes, the evolution pattern of hmF2 in the evening of equinoxes and winter is similar to that in summer, albeit without a lasting NmF2 enhancement as that in summer. These features suggest that the NmF2 enhancement and the hmF2 increase could arise from the thermospheric wind effect, and solar photoionization plays a crucial role in the enhancement as well. The general midlatitude F2 layer enhancement in local summer evening is consistent with the WSA on the above features, indicating that the WSA is a manifestation, with a particular geometry of the magnetic field, of the evening enhancement induced by the winds.

[1] We statistically analyze the ionospheric scale heights in the lower topside ionosphere based on the electron density (N e ) and temperature profiles observed from the incoherent scatter radar (ISR) at Arecibo (293.2°E, 18.3°N), Puerto Rico. In this study, a database containing the Arecibo ISR observations from 1966 to 2002 has been used in order to investigate the diurnal and seasonal variations and solar activity dependences of the vertical scale height (VSH), which is deduced from the electron concentration profiles defined as the value of Àdh/d(ln(N e )), and the effective scale height (H m ), which is defined as the scale height in the Chapman-a function to approximate the N e profiles. As a measure of the slope of the height profiles of the topside electron density, the derived VSH and H m show marked diurnal and seasonal variations and solar activity dependences. Their features are discussed in terms of thermal structures in the lower topside ionosphere. We also investigate the quantitative relationships between H m , VSH, and plasma scale height (H p ) over Arecibo. The similarities and differences in these scale heights are discussed. Results suggest that both the contributions from topside temperature structure and diffusion processes can also greatly control VSH and H m through changing the profile shape.

[1] This paper presents a statistical study of the pre-earthquake ionospheric anomaly by using the total electron content (TEC) data from the global ionosphere map. A total of 736 M ≥ 6.0 earthquakes in the global area during 2002-2010 are selected. The anomaly day is first defined. Then the occurrence rates of abnormal days for both the days within 1-21 days prior to the earthquakes (P E ) and the background days (P N ) are calculated. The results show that the values of P E depend on the earthquake magnitude, the earthquake source depth, and the number of days prior to the earthquake. The P E is larger for earthquakes with greater magnitude and lower depth and for days closer to the earthquakes. The results also show that the occurrence rate of anomaly within several days before the earthquakes is overall larger than that during the background days, especially for the large-magnitude and low-depth earthquakes. These results indicate that the anomalous behavior of TEC within just a few days before the earthquakes is related with the forthcoming earthquakes with high probability.

Following a brief history and progress of ionospheric research, this paper presents a brief review of the recent developments in the understanding of two major phenomena in low and mid latitude ionosphere—the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) and involved equatorial plasma fountain (EPF) and ionospheric irregularities. Unlike the easy‐to‐understand misinterpretations, the EPF involves field perpendicularE×B plasma drift and field‐aligned plasma diffusion acting together and plasma flowing in the direction of the resultant at all points along the field lines at all altitudes. The EIA is formed mainly from the removal of plasma from around the equator by the upward E×B drift creating the trough and consequently the crests with small accumulation of plasma at the crests when the crests are within ~±20° magnetic latitudes and no accumulation when they are beyond ~±25° magnetic latitudes. The strong EIA under magnetically active conditions arises from the simultaneous impulsive action of eastward prompt penetration electric field and equatorward neutral wind. Intense ionospheric irregularities develop in the post‐sunset bottom‐side equatorial ionosphere when it rises to high altitudes, and evolve nonlinearly into the topside. Pre‐reversal enhancement (PRE) of the vertical upward E×B drift and its fluctuations amplified during PRE provide the driving force and seed, with neutral wind and gravity waves being the primary sources. At low solar activity especially in summer when fast varying PRE is absent, the slow varying gravity waves including large scale waves (LSW) seem to act as both driver and seed for weak irregularities. At mid latitudes, the irregularities are weak and associated with medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). A low latitude minimum in the occurrence of the irregularities at March equinox predicted by theoretical models is identified. The minimum occurs on the poleward side of the EIA crest and shifts equatorward from ~25° magnetic latitudes at high solar activity to below 17° at low solar activity.

[1] The electron density in the ionospheric F region occasionally stops its decay and rises pronouncedly during night hours, which are termed ionospheric nighttime enhancements. In this case study, we analyzed the manually scaled ionogram records measured by a Lowell DPS-4D ionosonde operated at Sanya (18.3°N, 109.6°E), China, to explore postmidnight enhancement events occurred in 2012, a year of moderate solar activities. Common features in these cases illustrate that, accompanying nighttime rises in peak electron density of F2 layer (NmF2), the height of F2 layer is depressed significantly, and the ionogram-derived electron density height profiles become thinner. There are time shifts in the development of electron density enhancements in the F layer; that is, enhancement develops earlier and reaches peaks earlier at higher altitudes than at lower altitudes. Meanwhile, plasma drift is detected downward under such events, revealing the essential role of the westward electric field in forming the postmidnight enhancements in electron density of ionospheric F layer at such low latitudes.

Solar radiation, which varies over multiple temporal scales, modulates remarkably the evolution of the ionosphere. The solar activity dependence of the ionosphere is a key and fundamental issue in ionospheric physics, providing information essential to understanding the variations in the ionosphere and its processes. Selected recent studies on solar activity effects of the ionosphere are briefly reviewed in this report. This report focuses on (1) observations of solar irradiance at X-ray and extreme ultraviolet wavelengths and the outstanding problems of solar proxies, in the view of ionospheric studies, (2) new findings and improved representations of the features of the solar activity dependence of ionospheric key parameters and the corresponding physical processes, (3) possible phenomena in the ionosphere under extremely high and low solar activity conditions that are unique, as indicated by historical solar datasets and the deep solar minimum of solar cycle 23/24, and (4) statistical studies and model simulations of the ionosphere response to solar flares. The above-mentioned studies provide new clues for comprehensively explaining basic processes in the ionosphere and improving the prediction capability of ionospheric models and related applications.

A critical question in ionospheric physics is the state of the ionosphere and relevant processes under extreme solar activities. The solar activity during 2007–2009 is extremely prolonged low, which offers us a unique opportunity to explore this issue. In this study, we collected the global ionosonde measurements of the F2 layer critical frequency (foF2), E layer critical frequency (foE), and F layer virtual height (h′F) and the total electron content (TEC) maps produced by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which were retrieved from dual‐frequency GPS receivers distributed worldwide, to investigate the ionospheric phenomena during solar minimum of cycle 23/24, particularly the difference in the ionosphere between solar minima of cycle 23/24 and the preceding cycles. The analysis indicates that the moving 1 year mean foF2 at most ionosonde stations and the global average TEC went to the lowest during cycle 23/24 minimum. The solar cycle differences in foF2 minima display local time dependence, being more negative during the daytime than at night. Furthermore, the cycle difference in daytime foF2 minima is about −0.5 MHz and even reaches to around −1.2 MHz. In contrast, a complex picture presents in global h′F and foE. Evident reduction exists prevailingly in the moving 1 year mean h′F at most stations, while no huge differences are detected at several stations. A compelling feature is the increase in foE at some stations, which requires independent data for further validation. Quantitative analysis indicates that record low foF2 and low TEC can be explained principally in terms of the decline in solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance recorded by SOHO/SEM, which suggests low solar EUV being the prevailing contributor to the unusual low electron density in the ionosphere during cycle 23/24 minimum. It also verifies that a quadratic fitting still reasonably captures the solar variability of foF2 and global average TEC at such low solar activity levels.