Evaluation of the IRI-2012 model during intense geomagnetic storms

FAGRE MARIANO; SAAVEDRA ZENON; ELÍAS A. GEORGINA; CABRERA MIGUEL A.; FLORES IVALDI GERARDO L.

Bangkok

Workshop; International Reference Ionosphere 2015 Workshop; 2015

Intense geomagnetic storms impact the ionosphere causing severe disturbances, which affect a wide range of radio systems on which worldwide societies and economies are increasingly dependent.Telecommunications, aircraft safety, navigation and surveillance systems, for example, rely on signals propagating through the ionosphere. So, a continuous ionosphere monitoring is essential, as well as the ability to predict irregularities and disturbances that may affect these systems. The problem offorecasting ionospheric disturbances associated with geomagnetic storms is still a highly topical and complex issue, and IRI-2012 model is a very useful tool for this purpose. In the present work IRI-2012 foF2 predictions during intense geomagnetic storms are analyzed. For selected mid and high latitude stations experimental foF2 is compared to IRI-2012 output with the ionospheric storm correction model STORM and without it. A very good agreement is observed when STORM on option is used. In most of the cases here analyzed, and as it is usually observed, foF2 ionosonde records present gaps during the main phase of the storm. Since in many statistical analysis complete data series are needed, IRI-2012 would provide a highly acceptable method to interpolate foF2 missing data in these cases.