Lightning induced perturbations of the lower ionosphere are investigated with very low frequency (VLF) remote sensing on a unique overlapping propagation path geometry. The signals from two VLF transmitters (at different frequencies) are observed at a single receiver after propagation through a common channel in the Earth‐ionosphere waveguide. This measurement diversity allows for greater certainty in quantification of perturbations to the ionospheric
Terrestrial Very‐Low‐Frequency (VLF) energy from both lightning discharges and radio transmitters has a role in affecting the energetic electrons in the Van Allen radiation belts, but quantification of these effects is particularly difficult, largely due to the collisional damping experienced in the highly variable electron density in the D‐ and E‐region ionosphere. The Faraday International Reference Ionosphere (FIRI) model was specifically developed by combining lower‐ionosphere chemistry modeling with in situ rocket measurements, and represents to date the most reliable source of electron density profiles for the lower ionosphere. As a full‐resolution empirical model, FIRI is not well suited to D‐ and E‐region ionosphere inversion, and its applicability in transionospheric VLF simulation and in remote sensing of the lower ionosphere is limited. Motivated by how subionospheric VLF remote sensing has been aided by the Wait and Spies (WS) profile (Wait & Spies, 1964), in this study, we parameterize the FIRI profiles and extend the WS profile to the E‐region ionosphere by introducing two new parameters: the knee altitude
- Award ID(s):
- 1952465
- PAR ID:
- 10369685
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
- Volume:
- 126
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 2169-9380
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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