Variability of GPS-Derived Ionospheric TEC over Nigeria during a Year of Low Solar Activity
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Date
2020
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Publisher
Canadian Journal of Physics
Abstract
An investigation on the diurnal and seasonal variability of ionospheric Total
Electron Content (TEC) over Nigeria is carried out in this study using
Global Positioning System (GPS) observable. Nigeria coordinates fall within
the trough of equatorial ionisation anomaly region of African sector. The
TEC data used were obtained from the ground-based GPS receiver stations
of the Nigerian GNSS network of stations (NIGNET). The stations with their
respective geomagnetic latitudes are: Abuja (1:64 ), Yola (1:32 ), Zaria
(0:13 ), Kebbi (0:72 ). The results of the diurnal analysis of the relative
variability index (VD) revealed higher nighttime values than daytime values.
The diurnal variation of VD also showed two conspicuous peaks: the postmidnight
and the post-sunset. The diurnal-seasonal variation does not reveal
any consistent pattern (no particular season leads the others throughout).
On the average, considering all the seasons together maximum TEC variability
occurred in Zaria (62%) and least in Yola (54%). Seasonally, maximum
VD was recorded during March equinox and the least was recorded during
December equinox.
Description
Keywords
Ionosphere, Global positioning system, Total electron content, Geomagnetic disturbances, Seasonal variability, Latitudinal variability