CEDAR Electrodynamics Thermosphere Ionosphere (ETI) Challenge for systematic assessment of ionosphere/thermosphere models: Electron density, neutral density, NmF2, and hmF2 using space based observations

Authors

J. S. Shim, Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute, University of Maryland Baltimore County, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
M. Kuznetsova, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
L. Rastätter, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
D. Bilitza, School of Physics Astronomy and Computational Science
L. Butala, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
M. Emery, High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
B. Foster, High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
T. J. Fuller-Rowell, Space Weather Prediction Center
J. Huba, Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory
A. J. Mannucci, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
X. Pi, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
A. Ridley, Space Physics Research Laboratory, University of Michigan,
Ludger Scherliess, Utah State UniversityFollow
Jan Josef Sojka, Utah State UniversityFollow
P. Stephens, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
D. C. Thompson, Air Force Research Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico
D. Weimer, Center for Space Science and Engineering Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Lie Zhu, Utah State UniversityFollow
E. Sutton, Air Force Research Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Space Weather

Volume

10

Issue

10

Publication Date

10-2012

Abstract

In an effort to quantitatively assess the current capabilities of Ionosphere/Thermosphere (IT) models, an IT model validation study using metrics was performed. This study is a main part of the CEDAR Electrodynamics Thermosphere Ionosphere (ETI) Challenge, which was initiated at the CEDAR workshop in 2009 to better comprehend strengths and weaknesses of models in predicting the IT system, and to trace improvements in ionospheric/thermospheric specification and forecast. For the challenge, two strong geomagnetic storms, four moderate storms, and three quiet time intervals were selected. For the selected events, we obtained four scores (i.e., RMS error, prediction efficiency, ratio of the maximum change in amplitudes, and ratio of the maximum amplitudes) to compare the performance of models in reproducing the selected physical parameters such as vertical drifts, electron and neutral densities, NmF2, and hmF2. In this paper, we present the results from comparing modeled values against space-based measurements including NmF2 and hmF2 from the CHAMP and COSMIC satellites, and electron and neutral densities at the CHAMP satellite locations. It is found that the accuracy of models varies with the metrics used, latitude and geomagnetic activity level.

Comments

Published in Space Weather,

©2012. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Recommended Citation

Shim, J. S., et al. (2012), CEDAR Electrodynamics Thermosphere Ionosphere (ETI) Challenge for systematic assessment of ionosphere/thermosphere models: Electron density, neutral density, NmF2, and hmF2 using space based observations, Space Weather, 10, S10004, doi:10.1029/2012SW000851.