For a number of years we have used the term "Ionospheric Profiling" on the
Web Site to describe some of the information collected by
Ionosondes.
In the strictest sense, ionospheric
profiling includes more information than is usually scaled from the graphical
product of a ionosonde - the ionogram. The current method of scaling
an ionogram is based on a convention dating from 1989. Changes are
currently being considered.
- fmin: The frequency (Mhz*1000) of the lowest return in the ionogram.
- foE: The frequency (Mhz*10) of the E layer critcal frequency.
- hE: The virtual height (km) of the E layer.
- foEs: The highest frequency (Mhz*10) of return from the ordinary
component of the sporadic E layer (ES).
- hEs: The virtual height (km) of the Es layer.
- foF1: The frequency (Mhz*10) of the F1 layer cusp.
- hf: The virtual height (km) of the F1 layer.
- foF2: The top most frequency (Mhz*10) of the ordinary component of
F-layer.
- fxI: The top most frequency (Mhz*10) of the extra-ordinary component
of the F-layer.
- hF2: The virtual height (km) of the F2 layer.
For the purpose of ionospheric sounding we will discuss the scaling of
an ionogram here. At a later time additional information on ionospheric
profiling will be compiled from its scattered pieces into one place on the
Web Site using a single heading.
Ionograms and Critical Frequencies
This list was compiled by the Propagations Studies Committee of the Radio
Society of Great Britain.
There will be discrepancies in terms and in the way ionograms are scaled.
There is a lack of standardization in ionograms obtained by different
ionosondes. (These terms are defined in the
Web Site's Glossary)
Critical frequency
(fof2) plots for the previous day and 7-day average from .
Webmaster's Note: The compiler of
this list uses "foF2" to represent "critical frequency". On this Web Site FoF2
signifies the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) while F2-Critical Frequency is used
to represent the Critical Frequency.
Unfortunately there are
discrepancies in the use of these two terms. The discrepancies extend far beyond
this specific incidence. Usually the author will describe a term and what that
term represents.
(Editor: revision
under way here. This list is revised monthly but it is published less
frequently. Many links may come up as "404 Page Not Found". Links are
frequently dead-ends when published by the original sources. We include those
links in anticipation that they will eventually connect to their intended
targets. All links on this page are monitored frequently and revised when
corrections are located). As of 01
March 2008, we have four
pages of additional links to trace. Volunteer help would be appreciated.
