How the thermospheric circulation affects the ionospheric F2-layer

Abstract After a historical introduction in Section 1 , the paper summarizes in Section 2 the physical principles that govern the behaviour of the ionospheric F2-layer. Section 3 reviews the physics of thermospheric dynamics at F-layer heights, and how the thermospheric winds affect the neutral chemical composition. Section 4 discusses the seasonal, annual and semiannual variations of the quiet F2 peak at midlatitudes, while Section 5 deals with storm conditions. The paper concludes by summing up the state of understanding of F2-layer variations and reviewing some important principles that apply to ionospheric studies generally. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

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