IRI-2012 MODEL ADAPTABILITY ESTIMATION FOR AUTOMATED PROCESSING OF VERTICAL SOUNDING IONOGRAMS

The paper deals with possibility of IRI-2012 global empirical model applying to the vertical sounding of the ionosphere semiautomatic data processing. Main ionosphere characteristics from vertical sounding data at IZMIRAN Voeikovo station in February 2013 were compared with IRI-2012 model calculation results. 2688 model values and 1866 real values of f0F2, f0E, hmF2, hmE were processed. E and F2 layers critical frequency (f0E, f0F2) and the maximum altitudes (hmF2, hmE) were determined from the ionograms. Vertical profiles of the electron concentration were restored with IRI-2012 model by measured frequency and height. The model calculation was also made without the inclusion of the real vertical sounding data. Monthly averages and standard deviations (σ) for the parameters f0F2, f0E, hmF2, hmE for each hour of the day were calculated according to the vertical sounding and model values. Model applicability conditions for automated processing of ionograms for subauroral ionosphere were determined. Initial IRI-2012 model can be applied in the sub-auroral ionograms processing at daytime with undisturbed conditions in the absence of sporadic ionization. In this case model calculations can be adjusted by the near-time vertical sounding data. IRI-2012 model values for f0E (in daytime) and hmF2 can be applied to reduce computational costs in the systems of automatic parameters search and preliminary determination of the searching area range for the main parameters. IRI-2012 model can be used for a more accurate approximation of the real data series in the absence of the real values. In view of sporadic ionization, ionosphere models of the high latitudes must be applied with corpuscular ions formation unit.