Seasonal Variation of Total Electron Content and Critical Frequency at F1 and E Layer Boundary in the Low-Latitude Ionosphere

Abstract

The ionosphere is the uppermost layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, primarily ionized by solar X-rays and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It extends from approximately 80 km to 1000 km in altitude, where solar radiation interacts with atmospheric particles, creating free electrons and influencing radio wave propagation. Understanding the variations in ionospheric parameters is crucial for applications such as satellite communication, navigation systems, and space weather forecasting.

This study investigates the temporal variations of the total electron content (TEC) and the critical frequency (f₀) in the transition region between the F1 and E layers at low latitudes. The research focuses on the Ouagadougou station (12.4⁰N, 358.5⁰E) in West Africa during geomagnetically quiet periods of solar cycle 23. The analysis is conducted using the 2016 version of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model.

The findings reveal that the boundary region of the E and F1 layers, TEC and f₀, increases during the day as solar irradiance intensifies and subsequently decreases as solar radiation diminishes.