Yuichi Otsuka

The dual frequency radio signals of the Global Positioning System (GPS) allow measurements of the total number of electrons, called total electron content (TEC), along a ray path from GPS satellite to receiver. We have developed a new technique to construct two-dimensional maps of absolute TEC over Japan by using GPS data from more than 1000 GPS receivers. A least squares fitting procedure is used to remove instrumental biases inherent in the GPS satellite and receiver. Two-dimensional maps of a

We report for the first time simultaneous observations of medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) at geomagnetic conjugate points in both hemispheres, using two all‐sky airglow imagers at midlatitudes. A 630‐nm all‐sky CCD imager at Sata, Japan, detected MSTIDs with a wavefront elongated from NW to SE on the night of August 9, 2002. During this event, MSTIDs with a wavefront elongated from SW to NE were observed at the geomagnetic conjugate point, Darwin, Australia. To investiga

Abstract. Two-dimensional structures of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) over Europe have been revealed, for the first time, by using maps of the total electron content (TEC) obtained from more than 800 GPS receivers of the European GPS receiver networks. From statistical analysis of the TEC maps obtained 2008, we have found that the observed MSTIDs can be categorized into two groups: daytime MSTID and nighttime MSTID. The daytime MSTID frequently occurs in winter. Its ma

We report for the first time large‐scale equatorial F ‐region airglow depletions extending to low‐midlatitudes in both hemispheres. The observational sites were located at low‐midlatitude geomagnetic conjugate points. Clear depletions of 630.0‐nm airglow intensity due to equatorial plasma bubbles were simultaneously observed with two all‐sky imagers at Sata, Japan (magnetic latitude 24°N), and its geomagnetic conjugate point, Darwin, Australia (magnetic latitude 22°S), on the night of November 1

We report on simultaneous observations of very high frequency (VHF) radar backscatter from field‐aligned irregularities (FAI) in the E region and medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTID) in 630‐nm airglow images. On the night of 6 August 2002, the powerful 46.5‐MHz middle and upper atmosphere (MU) radar with five beam directions at Shigaraki, Japan, observed typical quasiperiodic (QP) echoes from FAI in the E region. During this QP echo event, an all‐sky charge‐coupled device imag

Abstract We report the response of the ionosphere to the large earthquake that occurred in West Sumatra, Indonesia, at 0058 UT on December 26, 2004. We have analyzed Global Positioning System (GPS) data obtained at two sites in Sumatra and at three sites in Thailand to investigate total electron content (TEC) variations. Between 14 and 40 min after the earthquake, TEC enhancements of 1.6–6.9 TEC units (TECU) were observed at subionospheric points located 360–2000 km north of the epicenter. From

This paper provides a brief review of ionospheric irregularities that occur in magnetically equatorial and low-latitude regions post-midnight during low solar activity periods. Ionospheric irregularities can occur in equatorial plasma bubbles. Plasma bubbles are well-known to frequently occur post-sunset when the solar terminator is nearly parallel to the geomagnetic field lines (during equinoxes at the longitude where the declination of the geomagnetic field is almost equal to zero and near the