Using Data Assimilation to Reconstruct High‐Latitude Polar Cap Patches

Abstract

Discrete high-density plasma structures in the Earth's ionosphere that convect across the polar cap from the dayside to nightside are known as polar cap patches. This high-latitude phenomenon can interfere and disrupt satellite and high-frequency (HF) communications when the associated sharp electron density gradients are encountered, and therefore, accurate modeling and forecasting of such events would be greatly beneficial. In this study, we have utilized the assimilative Global Positioning System Ionospheric Inversion (GPSII) method to reconstruct the high-latitude ionosphere utilizing data from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, vertical ionosondes, the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar (RISR-N), in situ satellite data, and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radars. The novel method of assimilating RISR-N and SuperDARN ground scatter measurements helps to increase the limited number of observations at high latitudes. The reconstructed polar cap patches are shown to correspond with ground-and spaced-based observations, illustrating the ability of utilizing GPSII to study the complex high-latitude region.

An Evaluation of Spire Radio Occultation Data in Assimilative Ionospheric Model GPSII and Validation by Ionosonde Measurements

“…Negale et al. (2020) did a study of polar cap patches by driving GPSII with data from ground‐based GNSS receivers, ionosondes, the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar, in situ satellite electron density data, and the ground return propagation delays from SuperDARN radars.…”