Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite Data

Abstract Modeling the Earth's ionosphere is a critical component of forecasting space weather, which in turn impacts radio wave propagation, navigation and communication. This research focuses on predicting the electron density in the topside of the ionosphere using satellite data, in particula...

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Main Authors: S. Dutta, M. B. Cohen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-09-01
Series:Space Weather
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003134
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author S. Dutta
M. B. Cohen
author_facet S. Dutta
M. B. Cohen
author_sort S. Dutta
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Modeling the Earth's ionosphere is a critical component of forecasting space weather, which in turn impacts radio wave propagation, navigation and communication. This research focuses on predicting the electron density in the topside of the ionosphere using satellite data, in particular from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, a collection of 19 satellites that have been polar orbiting the Earth for various lengths of times, fully covering 1982 to the present. An artificial neural network was developed and trained on two solar cycles worth of data (113 satellite‐years), along with global drivers and indices such as F10.7, interplanetary magnetic field, and Kp to generate an electron density prediction. We tested the model on six years of subsequent data (26 satellite‐years), and found a correlation coefficient of 0.87. Once trained, the model can predict topside electron density at any location specified by latitude and longitude given current/recent geomagnetic conditions. We validated the model via comparison with data from the DEMETER satellite which orbited at a similar altitude, and taking that as an independent source of true electron density values. Comparing our results to the International Reference Ionosphere, we find that our model works better at low to mid‐latitudes, and for quiet and moderately disturbed geomagnetic conditions, but not for highly disturbed conditions.
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spelling doaj-art-c3436ac126874d219ab1b3053231a0eb2025-01-14T16:31:12ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902022-09-01209n/an/a10.1029/2022SW003134Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite DataS. Dutta0M. B. Cohen1School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Georgia Institution of Technology Atlanta GA USASchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering Georgia Institution of Technology Atlanta GA USAAbstract Modeling the Earth's ionosphere is a critical component of forecasting space weather, which in turn impacts radio wave propagation, navigation and communication. This research focuses on predicting the electron density in the topside of the ionosphere using satellite data, in particular from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, a collection of 19 satellites that have been polar orbiting the Earth for various lengths of times, fully covering 1982 to the present. An artificial neural network was developed and trained on two solar cycles worth of data (113 satellite‐years), along with global drivers and indices such as F10.7, interplanetary magnetic field, and Kp to generate an electron density prediction. We tested the model on six years of subsequent data (26 satellite‐years), and found a correlation coefficient of 0.87. Once trained, the model can predict topside electron density at any location specified by latitude and longitude given current/recent geomagnetic conditions. We validated the model via comparison with data from the DEMETER satellite which orbited at a similar altitude, and taking that as an independent source of true electron density values. Comparing our results to the International Reference Ionosphere, we find that our model works better at low to mid‐latitudes, and for quiet and moderately disturbed geomagnetic conditions, but not for highly disturbed conditions.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003134topside ionosphereelectron densitymachine learning
spellingShingle S. Dutta
M. B. Cohen
Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite Data
Space Weather
topside ionosphere
electron density
machine learning
title Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite Data
title_full Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite Data
title_fullStr Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite Data
title_full_unstemmed Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite Data
title_short Improving Electron Density Predictions in the Topside of the Ionosphere Using Machine Learning on In Situ Satellite Data
title_sort improving electron density predictions in the topside of the ionosphere using machine learning on in situ satellite data
topic topside ionosphere
electron density
machine learning
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2022SW003134
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