Searching for signatures of sporadic-E layers on ground-based measurements of ionospheric total electron content (TEC)

ScintPi is a series of low-cost ionospheric scintillation and total electron content (TEC) monitors developed at UT Dallas. ScintPi monitors were developed combining commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and single-board computers. ScintPi has been used in various studies of low and mid latitude ionospheric irregularities and scintillation.

Here, we present results of a study in which we analyzed TEC observations made by a ScintPi receiver deployed at mid latitudes (Dallas, TX). More specifically, we search for signatures of sporadic-E (Es) layers in the ScintPi TEC measurements. Es layers are rapid (a few minutes) and localized (tens of km in the horizontal direction) enhancements in the density of the ionospheric E-layer, caused by the convergence of ions along magnetic field lines driven by vertical shears in neutral winds.

In this poster we plan to describe and present examples of high rate (10 to 20 Hz) TEC measurements made by ScintPi. Then we will describe a rolling barrel approach used to detrend the TEC curves in search of sporadic-E signatures. TEC signatures of sporadic E layers will be compared with independent measurements made by an ionosonde located in Austin, about 320 km from Dallas. Main results will be presented and discussed, and main findings will be summarized.