Strong Correlation between Quasi-periodic Echoes and Plasma Drift in E-region

Abstract:

It is for the first time that the simultaneous observations of the quasi-periodic (QP) echoes and the plasma drift in the ionospheric E-region. This experiment was carried out in Fuke (19.5ºN, 109.1ºE), Hainan province, China. The Hainan VHF radar was used to observe the E-region field-aligned irregularities (FAIs) and the Hainan Digisonde was operated in the drift mode to record the drift velocities of the plasma blobs in the Es-layer. The QP echoes and the drift data of the whole year of 2013 were analyzed and compared. A surprising consistency between the striation tilt of the QP echoes and the drift direction of the plasma blobs was discovered. When the measured drift direction of the plasma blobs was southward, the negative echo striation of the QP FAIs was recorded, and vice versa. Furthermore, the phase of the echo trace was continuous, while the QP striation changed from negative to positive, or in contrary. Thus, a conclusion can be reached that the morphology of the QP echoes may be controlled by the background wind fields in the E-region. The northward/ southward drifting striated FAIs in the observing region of a coherent scatter radar possibly induce the positive/ negative QP echo striation in the range-time-intensity plots.