Mid-latitude E-region bulk motions inferred from digital ionosonde and HF radar measurements

G. C. Hussey, C. Haldoupis, A. Bourdillon, J. Delloue, J. T. Wiensz
2004 Annales Geophysicae  
In the mid-latitude E-region there is now evidence suggesting that neutral winds play a significant role in driving the local plasma instabilities and electrodynamics inside sporadic-E layers. Neutral winds can be inferred from coherent radar backscatter measurements of the range-/azimuth-time-intensity (RTI/ATI) striations of quasiperiodic (QP) echoes, or from radar interferometer/imaging observations. In addition, neutral winds in the E-region can be estimated from angle-of-arrival ionosonde
more » ... easurements of sporadic-E layers. In the present paper we analyse concurrent ionosonde and HF coherent backscatter observations obtained when a Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosonde (CADI) was operated under a portion of the field-of-view of the Valensole high frequency (HF) radar. The Valensole radar, a mid-latitude radar located in the south of France with a large azimuthal scanning capability of 82 • (24 • E to 58 • W), was used to deduce zonal bulk motions of QP echoing regions using ATI analysis. The CADI was used to measure angle-of-arrival information in two orthogonal horizontal directions and thus derive the motion of sporadic-E patches drifting with the neutral wind. This paper compares the neutral wind drifts of the unstable sporadic-E patches as determined by the two instruments. The CADI measurements show a predominantly westward aligned motion, but the measured zonal drifts are underestimated relative to those observed with the Valensole radar.
doi:10.5194/angeo-22-3789-2004 fatcat:kmyqeb6wcfc2bch63htbexcvsi