Abstract:

Most previous research on ionospheric scintillations has focused on low latitudes, while research in polar regions, especially Antarctica, has been limited because of the lack of measurements. This study investigated the characteristics of ionospheric phase scintillations and GPS TEC  spatiotemporal variations during a magnetic storm on September 24—27, 2011. Scintillation data measured by GPS scintillation receivers at the South Pole and McMurdo stations, and GPS observation data provided by the IGS network at the same locations, were used to perform the study. Results showed that during the storm, the intensity of phase scintillations at both stations was enhanced remarkably. In addition, when the scintillations became strong, the temporal variation of the phase scintillation index (σ_Φ) was very similar to that of the rate of TEC index (ROTI) derived from GPS observations. Thus, the good correlation of phase scintillations with ROTI indicates that GPS ROTI could be used as an important optional parameter, especially in the absence of direct measurements of phase scintillation. Therefore, the globally distributed IGS GPS receivers could be used to provide substitute data for the study of ionospheric scintillations.

Key words: magnetic storm, South Pole, ionospheric scintillation, GPS ROTI