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Relationship of the atmosphere and ionosphere. The ionosphere (/ aɪ ˈ ɒ n ə ˌ s f ɪər /) [1] [2] is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about 48 km (30 mi) to 965 km (600 mi) above sea level, [3] a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar ...
ISAB is only a factor in the period of the day where radio signals travel through the portion of the ionosphere facing the Sun. The solar wind and radiation cause the ionosphere to become charged with electrons in the first place. At night, the atmosphere becomes drained of its charge, and radio signals can go much farther with less loss of signal.
TEC plot for the continental USA, made on 2013-11-24. Total electron content (TEC) is an important descriptive quantity for the ionosphere of the Earth. TEC is the total number of electrons integrated between two points, along a tube of one meter squared cross section, i.e., the electron columnar number density.
[2] The F 2 layer exists from about 220 to 800 km (140 to 500 miles) above the surface of the Earth. The F 2 layer is the principal reflecting layer for HF radio communications during both day and night. The horizon-limited distance for one-hop F 2 propagation is usually around 4,000 km (2,500 miles). The F 2 layer has about 10 6 e/cm 3 ...
In this way radio waves can travel beyond the horizon, around the curve of the Earth. However the refractive index of the ionosphere decreases with increasing frequency, so there is an upper limit to the frequency which can be used. Above this frequency the radio waves are not reflected by the ionosphere but are transmitted through it into space.
Very low frequency or VLF is the ITU designation [1] [2] for radio frequencies (RF) in the range of 3–30 kHz, corresponding to wavelengths from 100 to 10 km, respectively. The band is also known as the myriameter band or myriameter wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten myriameters (an obsolete metric unit equal to 10 kilometers).
The ionosphere is a region of the upper atmosphere, from about 80 km (50 miles) to 1000 km (600 miles) in altitude, where neutral air is ionized by solar photons, solar particles, and cosmic rays. When high-frequency signals enter the ionosphere at a low angle they are bent back towards the Earth by the ionized layer. [1]
The movement of charge between the Earth's surface, the atmosphere, and the ionosphere is known as the global atmospheric electrical circuit. Atmospheric electricity is an interdisciplinary topic with a long history, involving concepts from electrostatics, atmospheric physics, meteorology and Earth science. [2]