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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
earth and planetary sciences
Equatorial plasma bubbles and L-band scintillations in Africa during solar minimum
Annales Geophysicae, Volume 30, No. 4, Year 2012
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Description
We report on the longitudinal, local time and seasonal occurrence of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) and L band (GPS) scintillations over equatorial Africa. The measurements were made in 2010, as a first step toward establishing the climatology of ionospheric irregularities over Africa. The scintillation intensity is obtained by measuring the standard deviation of normalized GPS signal power. The EPBs are detected using an automated technique, where spectral analysis is used to extract and identify EPB events from the GPS TEC measurements. Overall, the observed seasonal climatology of the EPBs as well as GPS scintillations in equatorial Africa is adequately explained by geometric arguments, i.e., by the alignment of the solar terminator and local geomagnetic field, or STBA hypothesis (Tsunoda, 1985, 2010a). While plasma bubbles and scintillations are primarily observed during equinoctial periods, there are longitudinal differences in their seasonal occurrence statistics. The Atlantic sector has the most intense, longest lasting, and highest scintillation occurrence rate in-season. There is also a pronounced increase in the EPB occurrence rate during the June solstice moving west to east. In Africa, the seasonal occurrence shifts towards boreal summer solstice, with fewer occurrences and shorter durations in equinox seasons. Our results also suggest that the occurrence of plasma bubbles and GPS scintillations over Africa are well correlated, with scintillation intensity depending on depletion depth. A question remains about the possible physical mechanisms responsible for the difference in the occurrence phenomenology of EPBs and GPS scintillations between different regions in equatorial Africa. © Author(s) 2012. CC Attribution 3.0 License.
Authors & Co-Authors
Paznukhov, V.
United States, Chestnut Hill
Boston College
Carrano, Charles S.
United States, Chestnut Hill
Boston College
Doherty, Patricia H.
United States, Chestnut Hill
Boston College
Groves, Keith M.
United States, Chestnut Hill
Boston College
United States, Dayton
Air Force Research Laboratory
Caton, R.
United States, Dayton
Air Force Research Laboratory
Valladares, C. E.
United States, Chestnut Hill
Boston College
Seemala, Gopi K.
United States, Chestnut Hill
Boston College
Bridgwood, Christopher T.
United States, Chestnut Hill
Boston College
Adeniyi, Jacob Olusegun
Nigeria, Ilorin
University of Ilorin
Amaeshi, L. L.N.
Nigeria, Lagos
University of Lagos
Damtie, Baylie
Ethiopia, Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar University
D'Ujanga Mutonyi, F.
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Ndeda, J. O.H.
Kenya, Nairobi
Kenyatta University
Baki, Paul O.
Kenya, Nairobi
University of Nairobi
Obrou, Olivier K.
Cote D'ivoire, Abidjan
Université de Cocody-abidjan
Okere, Bonaventure I.
Nigeria, Naukka
University of Nigeria
Mengistu Tsidu, Gizaw
Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa University
Statistics
Citations: 84
Authors: 17
Affiliations: 11
Identifiers
Doi:
10.5194/angeo-30-675-2012
ISSN:
09927689
e-ISSN:
14320576
Study Design
Cohort Study
Phenomenological Study
Study Approach
Qualitative