In the context of the European Space Agency/European Space Operations Centre funded Study “GNSS Contribution to Next Generation Global Ionospheric Monitoring,” four ionospheric models based on GNSS data (the Electron Density Assimilative Model, EDAM; the Ionosphere Monitoring Facility, IONMON v2; the Tomographic Ionosphere model, TOMION; and the Neustrelitz TEC Models, NTCM) have been run using a controlled set of input data. Each model output has been tested against differential slant TEC (dSTEC) truth data for high (May 2002) and low (December 2006) sunspot periods. Three of the models (EDAM, TOMION, and NTCM) produce dSTEC standard deviation results that are broadly consistent with each other and with standard deviation spreads of ∼1 TECu for December 2006 and ∼1.5 TECu for May 2002. The lowest reported standard deviation across all models and all stations was 0.99 TECu (EDAM, TLSE station for December 2006 night). However, the model with the best overall dSTEC performance was TOMION which has the lowest standard deviation in 28 out of 52 test cases (13 stations, two test periods, day and night). This is probably related to the interpolation techniques used in TOMION exploiting the spatial stationarity of vertical TEC error decorrelation.

Clouds of vaporized samarium (Sm) were released during sounding rocket flights from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll in May 2013 as part of the Metal Oxide Space Cloud (MOSC) experiment. A network of ground‐based sensors observed the resulting clouds from five locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of primary interest was an examination of the extent to which a tailored radio frequency (RF) propagation environment could be generated through artificial ionospheric modification. The MOSC experiment consisted of launches near dusk on two separate evenings each releasing ~6 kg of Sm vapor at altitudes near 170 km and 180 km. Localized plasma clouds were generated through a combination of photoionization and chemi‐ionization (Sm + O → SmO+ + e–) processes producing signatures visible in optical sensors, incoherent scatter radar, and in high‐frequency (HF) diagnostics. Here we present an overview of the experiment payloads, document the flight characteristics, and describe the experimental measurements conducted throughout the 2 week launch window. Multi‐instrument analysis including incoherent scatter observations, HF soundings, RF beacon measurements, and optical data provided the opportunity for a comprehensive characterization of the physical, spectral, and plasma density composition of the artificial plasma clouds as a function of space and time. A series of companion papers submitted along with this experimental overview provide more detail on the individual elements for interested readers.

[1] The Electron Density Assimilative Model (EDAM) has been developed to provide real-time characterizations of the ionosphere by assimilating diverse data sets into a background model. Techniques have been developed to assimilate virtual height ionogram traces rather than relying on true height inversions. A test assimilation has been conducted using both GPS and ionosonde data as input. Postassimilation analysis shows that foF2 residuals can be degraded when only GPS data are assimilated. It has also been demonstrated that by using both data types it is possible to have low total electron content and foF2 residuals and that this is achieved by modifying the ionospheric slab thickness.Citation: Angling, M. J., and N. K. Jackson-Booth (2011), A short note on the assimilation of collocated and concurrent GPS and ionosonde data into the Electron Density Assimilative Model, Radio Sci., 46, RS0D13,

We discuss the impact of satellite motion on the use of compact arrays of GPS receivers for estimating the velocity of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). It is shown that satellite motion has subtle effects upon standard techniques of waveform cross correlation, or time difference of arrival, which can easily lead to spurious TID velocity estimates. We present some improved techniques for cross-correlating TID waveforms while taking account of the Doppler shifts created by satellite motion. In addition, we discuss some improved techniques for separating TID waveforms from background ionospheric trends, such as diurnal variation, based on high-order polynomial fitting with well-defined frequency selectivity. The application of these techniques to a sensor array in the UK is discussed. TID ForecastingTIDs are sometimes categorized according to their wavelength and speed of propagation. Large-scale TIDs (LSTIDs) generally have wavelengths in the range 300-1000 km, and propagation speeds above about 300 m/s. Medium-scale TIDs (MSTIDs) have shorter wavelengths (100-300 km) and slower speeds (50-200 m/s) [Hunsucker, 1982;Hernández-Pajares et al., 2006]. It should be noted that the amplitudes of waveforms in these two categories may not be very distinctive, although the changes in total electron content (TEC) associated with LSTIDs can generally be a little larger, perhaps upward of a few total electron content units (1 TECU = 10 −16 el m −2 ) superposed on a diurnal variation of order 20 TECU at midlatitudes.Accurately predicting the occurrence of a TID would be a very ambitious goal. More realistically, it would still be useful to be able to detect and characterize a TID over one region of the sky and be able to extrapolate its

With support from the NASA sounding rocket program, the Air Force Research Laboratory launched two sounding rockets in the Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands in May 2013 known as the Metal Oxide Space Cloud experiment. The rockets released samarium metal vapor at preselected altitudes in the lower F region that ionized forming a plasma cloud. Data from Advanced Research Project Agency Long‐range Tracking and Identification Radar incoherent scatter radar and high‐frequency (HF) radio links have been analyzed to understand the impacts of the artificial ionization on radio wave propagation. The HF radio wave ray‐tracing toolbox PHaRLAP along with ionospheric models constrained by electron density profiles measured with the ALTAIR radar have been used to successfully model the effects of the cloud on HF propagation. Up to three new propagation paths were created by the artificial plasma injections. Observations and modeling confirm that the small amounts of ionized material injected in the lower F region resulted in significant changes to the natural HF propagation environment.