Satellite Radio-Scintillation Observations

The irregularities in the density and movement of free electrons in the ionosphere are known as ionospheric scintillation. Severe scintillation conditions can prevent a GNSS receiver from locking on to the signal and can make it impossible to calculate a position. Scintillation is more prevalent at low and high latitudes. At high latitudes, differs from the lower regions, irregularities, which range in size from a few meters to a few tens of kirometers, often exhibit highly dynamic behavior when disturbed by solar wind and the magnetosphere.We developed an ionospheric scintillation observation system that consists of three closely spaced GPS receivers in SYOWA station, and scintillation is quantified by TEC (Total Electron Content: the vertically integrated electron density) and an index S4 (the amplitude scintillation of the carrier wave). We have been monitoring the scintillation since 2012, and they can also be seen on our website.