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Metadata

Townsville Ionogram

SPASE version 2.2.3

Numerical Data Product: Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre Townsville Ionogram

Resource ID
spase://ASWS/NumericalData/Ionogram/Tvl_Ionogram
Name
Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre Townsville Ionogram
Alternate name
Description

Ionograms are an image of frequency versus time delay (virtual height) of HF echoes from the ionosphere recorded by an ionosonde. An ionosonde is a swept frequency HF pulsed radar used to monitor the ionosphere. The WDC has archived ionogram data from 30 stations, 12 of them are still active at present. An IPS 5D ionosonde has been sounding since 17/08/2000 at Townsville until 10/09/2018. During 09/01/2019 and 27/09/2022 an IPS 5F ionosonde was in operation. The 5D/5F vertical sounding ionosondes normally sweep in frequency from about 1 to 21.5 MHz. Frequency step resolution for the 5D/5F is 5kHz, with up to 4095 steps available. The step interval is variable, becoming more coarse at higher frequencies as ionograms are generally displayed on a logarithmic scale. Every five minutes, a Ionogram data file is recorded, cleaned and the cleaned ionogram is transfered to Sydney for autoscaling and further analysis. The raw ionogram file is recorded in a DVD monthly, which will be posted to Sydney every month. During 13/05/1994 to 19/12/2001, Townsville also had an IPS 4D ionosonde. During 01/01/1991 to 03/09/1998, an IPS 5a ionosonde. and During 03/09/1998 to 15/08/2000, a CADI ionosonde. Since 24/10/2021, a 6A ionosonde started to sound at Townsville. The 6A vertical sounding ionosondes normally sweep in frequency from 1 to 22 MHz. Minimum frequency step resolution for the 6A is 5kHz, with up to 4200 frequency points available. The step interval is variable, starting from 25 kHz at 1 MHz and becoming more coarse at higher frequencies (100 kHz at 22 MHz) as ionograms are generally displayed on a logarithmic scale. Every five minutes, an Ionogram data file is recorded, cleaned and the cleaned ionogram is transferred to Sydney for autoscaling and further analysis. The WDC archives all raw ionogram files and cleaned ionogram files. The Townsville digital clean ionogram data is available since 01/01/1991, and digital raw ionogram data since 13/05/1994. The Townsville scaled hourly ionospheric data include parameters of foF2, foF1, FoE, foEs, fbEs, fmin, fxl, f'scaling F/s, M(3000)F2, h'F2, h'F, h'E, h'Es, h'Scaling R/S and Type Es. They are avalable since 09/06/1951. The Townsville median data of foF2 and M(3000)F2 are available since 06/1946.

Additional information
World Data Centre: Data Display and Download: Hourly Ionospheirc Data

includes browse display interface, button to get yearly data file and link to data availability chart

Language
en
World Data Centre: Data Display and Download: Monthly Median Ionospheirc Data

includes browse display interface, button to get the median data file and link to data availability chart

Language
en
Documentation

includes descriptions of data format of raw ionogram data and clean ionogram data

Language
en
Software

Softwares to view clean ionogram data with scaling function

Language
en
Real Time Display

Online viewer of Real Time clean ionogram data

Language
en
Acknowledgement

Contact
Role Person
1. General contact spase://SMWG/Person/Kehe.Wang
2. Metadata contact spase://SMWG/Person/Kehe.Wang
Release date
2016-02-25 17:00:00
Repository
Name
spase://SMWG/Repository/SWS
Availability
Online
Access rights
Open
URL
https access to raw and clean ionogram data

https access to the raw and clean ionogram data of Townsville IPS 4D (tvl4d), 5A (tvl5a) and IPS 5D (tvl5d) ionosondes and CADI ionosonde (tvlcd)

Language
en
Format
Binary
Encoding
None
Acknowledgement
Provider processing level
The original ionogram data are raw data, they are then cleaned by reducing noise signals at the station. The manually scaled data is calibrated and the autoscaled data is uncalibrated.
Instrument
spase://ASWS/Instrument/Ground/Townsville/Ionosonde
Measurement type
Active waves
Temporal description
Start date
1946-06-01 00:00:00
Relative stop date
1 day ago
Note

The earliest median ionospheric data since 06/1946. Digital clean ionogram data are current to within a day.

Spectral range
RadioFrequency
Observed regions
Earth.NearSurface.Ionosphere
Caveats
Keywords
Hourly ionospheric data
Ionogram
Ionosphere
Ionospheric data
Median ionospheric data
Scaled parameters

Parameters

Parameter #1

Name
Frequency
Description

Frequencies used to sonde ionopshere

Caveats
Cadence
5 minutes
Units
MHz
Wave type
Electromagnetic
Quantity
Frequency
Qualifier
Directional
Group
Frequency range
Spectral range
RadioFrequency
Low frequency
1
High frequency
21.5
Units
MHz

Parameter #2

Name
Virtual Height
Description

The apparent height of an ionospheric layer deduced from the time delay of a reflected radio pulse upon the assumption that it travelled at the speed of light over its entire path. However, the radio wave actually slows down as it is refracted so that the virtual height is greater than the true height of the refracting layer.

Caveats
Cadence
5 minutes
Units
Km
Valid minimum
50
Valid maximum
1000
Quantity
Other
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