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Validation of ANCHOR Ionospheric Data Assimilation Model Using Incoherent Scatter Radars
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  • Andrew M Pepper,
  • Victoriya Forsythe,
  • Sarah E McDonald,
  • Katherine Anne Zawdie
Andrew M Pepper
Clemson University
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Victoriya Forsythe
US Naval Research Laboratory

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Sarah E McDonald
Naval Research Laboratory
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Katherine Anne Zawdie
Naval Research Laboratory
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Abstract

ANCHOR is a novel data assimilation model developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for nowcasting ionospheric parameters relevant to space weather applications. ANCHOR incorporates electron density observations from ionosondes, Abel inverted radio occultation data, and ground-based GNSS receivers data into a PyIRI driven model background using the Kalman filter technique. The purpose of this study is to validate the estimated model parameters with direct electron density observations from incoherent scatter radars (ISR) at various levels of solar activity. A six year dataset spanning from 2018 to 2024, has been collected from four operating ISRs located at varying latitudes left of the prime meridian: Arecibo, Jicamarca, Millstone Hill, and Poker Flat. The validation includes four distinct events, with two events at low solar activity, one at moderate, and one at high solar activity, each with data coverage from at least two radars. Parameter extraction is achieved using Epstein functions to derive the bottom and topside of the F2 layer after the peak density (NmF2) and altitude (hmF2) have been found. The ISR-extracted parameters are used to directly compare with the model outputs using the root mean square error (RMSE) analysis method. Up to 75% improvement relative to the background model for NmF2 and hmF2 parameters with consistency across all latitudes is found. Additionally, ANCHOR assimilative model was compared to PyIRTAM model, showing a good agreement between the performances of both systems.
20 Sep 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive
23 Sep 2024Published in ESS Open Archive