Characteristics of the Afternoon E-region Plasma Density Irregularities in Middle Latitudes

In middle latitudes, radar probing of E-region ionospheric electron density irregularities has been carried out for several decades. However, no the afternoon (i.e., from noon to pre-sunset time) E-region field-aligned irregularities (FAIs) in middle latitude have been reported yet. On the other hand, a 40.8 MHz VHF radar operated continuously since December 2009 at Daejeon (36.18°N, 127.14°E, 26.7°N dip latitude) in South Korea has often observed the E-region FAIs in the afternoon. In this presentation, therefore, we report firstly the afternoon observations of the mid-latitude E-region FAIs made by the Daejeon radar. We present the characteristics and statistical morphology of the mid-latitude afternoon E-region FAIs based on the continuous and long-term radar observations. And also, to investigate the afternoon E-region FAIs – Sporadic E (Es) relationship, the FAIs have been also compared with Es parameters based on observations made from an ionosonde located at Icheon (37.14°N, 127.54°E, 27.7°N dip latitude), which is 100 km north of Daejeon.