IRI model application for Over the Horizon Radar ray path determination using URSI and CCIR options

ZENON SAAVEDRA; GEORGINA ANA ELIAS; GERARDO FLORES IVALDI; MIGUEL ANGEL CABRERA

Bangkok

Workshop; International Reference Ionosphere 2015; 2015

Knowledge of ionosphere conditions is essential for determining HF signal propagation paths. In the case of an Over The Horizon Radar (OTHR), where the ionosphere acts as a reflector, there are two important parameters that depend directly on the F2 layer critical frequency, foF2, and the ionization peak height, hmF2, which are the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) and Least Usable Frequency (LUF).OTHR is a HF radar system that covers an area located beyond the horizon line using ionospheric reflection. In the present work, a confidence belt in transmission frequencies to get a stable radar echo is assessed for this kind of radars through MUF and LUF calculations using IRI-2012 with both, CCIR and URSI F peak models for different solar activity levels. A comparative analysis of the results obtained with both models is done for different latitudes. The percentage variation has a strong latitudinal dependence being minima at low latitudes and reaching 15% for high latitudes depending on solar activity level.