Data · dataset · 2026
An improved inversion for FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC ionosphere electron density profiles
Listed in National Center for Atmospheric Research
An improved method to retrieve electron density profiles from Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) data is presented and applied to Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) observations.
Description
The improved inversion uses a monthly grid of COSMIC F region peak densities (NmF2), which are obtained via the standard Abel inversion, to aid the Abel inversion by providing information on the horizontal gradients in the ionosphere.
This lessens the impact of ionospheric gradients on the retrieval of GPS RO electron density profiles, reducing the dominant error source in the standard Abel inversion. Results are presented that demonstrate the NmF2 aided retrieval significantly improves the quality of the COSMIC electron density profiles. Improvements are most notable at E region altitudes, where the improved inversion reduces the artificial plasma cave that is generated by the Abel inversion spherical symmetry assumption at low latitudes during the daytime.
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Occurrence of unphysical negative electron densities at E region altitudes is also reduced. Furthermore, the NmF2 aided inversion has a positive impact at F region altitudes, where it results in a more distinct equatorial ionization anomaly. COSMIC electron density profiles inverted using our new approach are currently available through the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research COSMIC Data Analysis and Archive Center.
Owing to the significant improvement in the results, COSMIC data users are encouraged to use electron density profiles based on the improved inversion rather than those inverted by the standard Abel inversion.
Links
Get the data
- Publisher page n2t.org/ark:/85065/d77h1m26 ↗
documentation · download · from data ucar edu
Where it is published
- data.ucar.edu /dataset/an-improved-inversion-for-formosat-3-cosmic-ionosphere… ↗
National Center for Atmospheric Research dataset page
landing page · from data ucar edu
Catalogue records · 1
- CKAN API data.ucar.edu/api/3/action/package_show?id=163d2131-9b15-400c-8710-6a6bb0283… ↗
metadata API · from data ucar edu
Topics
- From keywords
- Earth & Environmental Science · Ocean & Atmospheric Science
Provenance · 1 source records, 7 field assertions
| Source | Key | Last seen | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Center for Atmospheric Research | 163d2131-9b15-400c-8710-6a6bb0283176 | 9 d ago | JSON v1 |
| Field | Assertion | Extractor | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| concepts[field].local:field:earth-environmental | mapping · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:ocean-atmospheric | mapping · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| created_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| description | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | /notes |
| publication_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| title | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | /title |
| updated_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 |