Ionospheric drifts

Ionospheric drifts at Ibadan: Results from correlation and dispersion analyses.

“…It is clear from the above figures and Table 2 that dispersion is more frequent in F than in E region records. This result for Ibadan is consistent with that for the middle latitudes (BRIGGS, 1976).…”

Comment on “Initial results from SKiYMET meteor radar at Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E): 1. Comparison of wind measurements with MF spaced antenna radar system” by Karanam Kishore Kumar et al.

“…In this scenario, the same caution that Briggs [1977] made for spaced receiver experiments applies to the meteor systems operating in the vicinity of the magnetic equator. In the light of the previous report based on the meteor radar observations made from Christmas Island by Chang et al [1999], we remind the readers of the potential problems in making reliable neutral wind measurements with radar systems probing the electrojet heights.…”

“…MF, meteor and MST radars are being used to measure neutral winds in the mesosphere–lower thermosphere (MLT) region (80–100 km) with the advantage of continuous observation over a particular site. Radars operating near the magnetic equator have complexities in interpreting the measurements in terms of neutral wind, since the plasma drifts at electrojet heights are expected to contaminate neutral wind measurements [ Briggs , 1977; Chang et al , 1999; Gurubaran and Rajaram , 2000]. In this context we revisit the interpretations made by Kumar et al [2007], in particular, the affirmation that the meteor system makes reliable wind measurements at heights above 90 km.…”

Signatures of equatorial electrojet in the mesospheric partial reflection drifts over magnetic equator

“…The small scale irregularities in the equatorial electrojet have been classified into two types attributed to two-stream and gradient drift instability mechanisms based on the observations by VHF radar [Fejer and Kelley, 1980]. Though the scales are different, the spaced antenna drifts measured at probing frequencies between 2 and 6 MHz in the equatorial electrojet region were shown to be related to the type II irregularities [Briggs, 1977] …”