The ionosphere is the very top layer of the Earth's atmosphere, the
border with space. Many telecommunications satellites orbit within this
layer and the ionosphere has a profound effect on radiowaves beamed between
earth and space. Broadcasters and systems planners need up-to-date information
about the state of the ionosphere on a daily or even hourly basis.
Researchers have investigated several ways of providing this vital information,
from using numerical models to extensive real-time measurements. The RCRU
project team have chosen to combine these two approaches. Their method
is based on measurements from a Europe-wide network of vertical ionosondes,
which measure the conditions of the ionosphere directly overhead. RCRU
uses a computer algorithm to predict the values in between the measured
data. Their method combines the accuracy of actual measurements with the
convenience of needing only about twenty measuring stations.
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