Artificial Neural Networks based global Ionospheric Model

Context:

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), Navi Mumbai, under the Department of Science & Technology have developed a global model to predict the ionospheric electron density with larger data coverage.

About:

• The new Artificial Neural Networks based global Ionospheric Model (ANNIM) is developed using long-term ionospheric observations to predict the ionospheric electron density and the peak parameters.
• ANNs replicate the processes in the human brain (or biological neurons) to solve problems such as:
  • pattern recognition
  • classification
  • clustering
  • generalization
  • linear and nonlinear data fitting
  • time-series prediction
• Currently, very few attempts have been made to model the global ionosphere variability using ANNs.

How do they do it?

• The researchers developed a neural network-based global ionospheric model by using:
  • an extensive database of global Digisonde (an instrument that measures real-time on-site electron density of the ionosphere by sending the radiofrequency pulses)
  • Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation
  • topside sounders observations
• These datasets were processed with various quality control measures to eliminate spurious data points (outliers) and prepared for the training.
• Day number, Universal Time, latitude, longitude, F10.7 index (responsible for Photo-ionization), Kp (represents the disturbed space weather conditions), magnetic declination, inclination, dip latitude, zonal and meridional neutral winds were taken as inputs in the study.
• The target (output) of ANNs is the electron density as a function of altitude for any given location and time.
• The data was trained with the ANNs using a high-performance computer at IIG to develop the ANNIM.

What is the ionosphere?

• A dense layer of molecules and electrically charged particles, called the ionosphere, at about 35 miles (60 kilometers) above the planet’s surface and stretching out beyond 620 miles (1,000 km).
• The ionosphere overlaps the mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. It is a very active part of the atmosphere, and it grows and shrinks depending on the energy it absorbs from the sun.
• In the ionosphere, charged particles are affected by the magnetic fields of both Earth and the sun.
• This is where auroras happen. Those are the bright, beautiful bands of light that you sometimes see near Earth’s poles.
• They are caused by high-energy particles from the sun interacting with the atoms in this layer of our atmosphere.