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Abstract Powerful lightning strikes generate broadband electromagnetic signals. At Extremely Low Frequencies (ELF), the signal partly leaks into the ionosphere and produces whistlers that can be detected by satellites. Indeed, the satellites of the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm Earth Explorer mission can detect those signals during 250 Hz burst‐mode acquisition campaigns of their Absolute Scalar Magnetometers (ASM). The dispersion of these whistlers depends on their propagation path and the distribution of ionization in the ionosphere crossed along that path. In this paper, we introduce a technique to derive a new measure of ionosphere electron content, the Total square‐Root Electron Content (TREC), using the arrival times of two frequencies of the whistler signal. We validate this approach by using data from ionosondes and from in situ measurements of the electron density at Swarm location. This technique brings new opportunities for sounding the ionosphere in regions poorly observed by other techniques.

Geomagnetic storms are the most pronounced phenomenon of space weather. When studying ionospheric response to a storm of 15 August 2015, an unexpected phenomenon was observed at higher middle latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. This phenomenon was a localized total electron content (TEC) enhancement (LTE) in the form of two separated plumes, which peaked southward of South Africa. The plumes were first observed at 05:00 UT near the southwestern coast of Australia. The southern plume was associated with local time slightly after noontime (1–2 h after local noon). The plumes moved with the Sun. They peaked near 13:00 UT southward of South Africa. The southern plume kept constant geomagnetic latitude (63–64° S); it persisted for about 10 h, whereas the northern plume persisted for about 2 h more. Both plumes disappeared over the South Atlantic Ocean. No similar LTE event was observed during the prolonged solar activity minimum period of 2006–2009. In 2012–2016 we detected altogether 26 LTEs and all of them were associated with the southward excursion of Bz. The negative Bz excursion is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the LTE occurrence as during some geomagnetic storms associated with negative Bz excursions the LTE events did not appear.

The first joint common volume measurements by the Digisonde Portable Sounder (DPS-4) and a new Doppler type system has been run at the Pruhonice ionospheric observatory (49.99° N, 14.54° E) since January 2004. The measurement of the Doppler shift is carried out continuously on a frequency of 3.6 MHz, thus the radio wave is reflected predominantly from the ionospheric F layer. To compare digisonde measurements with the Doppler data, a phase path was calculated from both Doppler and digisonde records. Under stormy conditions and in the case where a sporadic E layer was present, a significant disagreement between both measurements has been found. The discrepancies could be related to the uncertainties of the observational inputs and to the interpretation of the digisonde data. The comparison of the phase paths shows that during geomagnetically quiet days, in the absence of the sporadic E layer, and when high quality ionograms are available and correctly scaled, the electron density N(h) profiles, calculated by the Automatic Real Time Ionogram Scaler with True height algorithm (ARTIST), can be considered reliable.

In this paper a method for real-time updating of ionospheric electron density profile, N(h), over Europe using an ionospheric model and real-time measurements at ionosonde locations is presented. The N(h) profile update over European area has been simulated with the IRI-2000 ionospheric model and real-time N(h) profiles obtained from the EU COST271 Action Space Weather Database. Preliminary findings are shown for the geomagnetically quiet day on 4 May 2003 and disturbed day on 24 May 2002. Results are discussed in the context of real-time N(h) profile updating capabilities and effectiveness.

This study attempts to demonstrate changes in the ionospheric F1-region daytime ionization during geomagnetic storms. The F1-region is explored using available data from several European middle latitude and lower latitude observatories and a set of geomagnetic storms encompassing a range of seasons and solar activity levels. The results of analysis suggest systematic seasonal and partly latitudinal differences in the F1-region response to geomagnetic storm. The pattern of the response of the F1-region at higher middle latitudes, a decrease in electron density, does not depend on the type of response of the F2-region and on solar activity. A brief interpretation of these findings is presented.Key words. Ionosphere (ionospheric disturbances; mid-latitude ionosphere)

Global climate change affects the whole atmosphere, including the thermosphere and ionosphere. Calculations of long-term trends in the ionosphere are critically dependent on solar activity (solar cycle) correction of ionospheric input data. The standard technique is to establish an experimental model via calculating the dependence of ionospheric parameter on solar activity from the whole analysed data set, subtract these model data from observed data and analyse the trend of residuals. However, if the solar activity dependence changes with time, the solar correction calculated from the whole data set may result in miscalculating the ionospheric trends. To test this, data from two European ionospheric stations – Juliusruh and Slough/Chilton – which provide long-term reliable data, have been used for the period 1975–2014. The main result of this study is the finding that the solar activity correction used in calculating ionospheric long-term trends need not be stable, as was assumed in all previous investigations of ionospheric trends. During the previous solar cycle 23 and the current solar cycle 24, the solar activity correction appears to be different from that for the previous period and the Sun seems to behave in a different way than throughout the whole previous era of ionospheric measurements. In future ionospheric trend investigations the non-stability of solar activity correction has to be very seriously taken into account, because it can substantially affect calculated long-term trends of ionospheric parameters.

The hysteresis of foF2 is studied for several European stations over the whole 24-hour diurnal interval for the equinoctial months of the years just before and just after the solar cycle minimum for solar cycles 20 and 21. Based on previous results, the hysteresis is expected to develop best just for the equinoctial months and near the solar cycle minimum. The hysteresis is generally found to be negative, i.e. higher foF2 for the rising branch compared to the falling branch of solar cycle. However, this is not the case in some individual months of some years. The noontime hysteresis represents the hysteresis at other times of the day qualitatively (as to sign) but not quantitatively. The hysteresis appears to be relatively persistent from one solar cycle to another solar cycle in spring but not in autumn. A typical value for springtime hysteresis is about 0.5 MHz. The inclusion of hysteresis into long-term ionospheric and radio wave propagation predictions remains questionable.Key words: Ionosphere (mid-latitude ionosphere; ionospheric disturbances)

The paper reviews the work done in the course of the COST 271 Action concerned with the development of tools and methods for forecasting, nowcasting and warning of ionospheric propagation conditions. Three broad categories of work are covered. First, the maintenance and enhancement of existing operational services that provide forecast or nowcast data products to end users; brief descriptions of RWC Warsaw and the STIF service are given. Second, the development of prototype or experimental services; descriptions are given of a multi-datasource system for reconstruction of electron density profiles, and a new technique using real-time IMF data to forecast ionospheric storms. The third category is the most wide-ranging, and deals with work that has presented new or improved tools or methods that future operational forecasting or nowcasting system will rely on. This work covers two areas - methods for updating models with prompt data, and improvements in modelling or our understanding of various ionospheric-magnetospheric features - and ranges over updating models of ionospheric characteristics and electron density, modelling geomagnetic storms, describing the spatial evolution of the mid-latitude trough, and validating a recently-proposed technique for deriving TEC from ionosonde observations.

Knowledge of the ionospheric electron density distribution and its fluctuations is essential for predicting ionospheric characteristics for radio wave propagation and for other applications such as satellite tracking, navigation, etc. Geomagnetic storm is the most important source of the ionisation density perturbatio ns. Recent studies of the F1-region electron density distribution revealed systematic seasonal and latitudinal differences in the F1-layer response to geomagnetic storm. At European higher middle latitudes no significant effect has been observed in summer and spring at heights of 160-190 km, whereas well-pronounced depression appears in winter and late autumn at least at 180- 190 km. A brief interpretation of this finding will be presented. On the other hand, the pattern of the response of the ionosphere at F1-layer heights does not seem to depend on the type of response of F2-layer (foF2) or on solar activity. Concerning the main types of ionospheric irregularities sporadic E and spread-F, it has been found that considering sporadic E-layers as thin diffraction screen, it may be modelled for propagation of radio-waves by the determination of the temporal variation of foEs representing in ionograms the mean ion density of «patches» of increased ion density embedded in the Es-layer. Spectrum of these variations indicates the mean period of the variations, which multiplied by the wind velocity gives the mean distance of patches, that is, the mean distance between the screen points. In case of spread-F, it has been found that irregularities causing spread-F are mostly due to plasma instabilities, though the role of travelling ionospheric disturbances may be not entirely neglected.

Competing Interests: We declare no competing interests. All authors accept responsibility for submitting this manuscript for publication.

Objective: Our study analysed evolving regional commitments on food policy in the Pacific. Our aim was to understand regional priorities and the context of policy development, to identify opportunities for progress., Design: We analysed documentation from a decade of regional meetings in order to map regional policy commitments relevant to healthy diets. We focused on agriculture, education, finance, health, and trade sectors, and Heads of State forums. Drawing on relevant political science methodologies, we looked at how these sectors 'frame' the drivers of and solutions to non-communicable diseases (NCD), their policy priorities, and identified areas of coherence and tension., Setting: The Pacific has among the highest rates of non-communicable diseases in the world, but also boasts an innovative and proactive response. Heads of State have declared NCD a 'crisis' and countries have committed to specific prevention activities set out in a regional 'Roadmap'. Yet, diet-related NCD risk-factors remain stubbornly high and many countries face challenges in establishing a healthy food environment., Results: Policies to improve food environments and prevent NCD are a stated priority across regional policy forums, with clear agreement on the need for a multi-sectoral response. However, we identified challenges in sustaining these priorities as political attention fluctuated. We found examples of inconsistencies and tension in sectoral responses to the NCD epidemic that may restrict implementation of the multi-sectoral action., Conclusion: Understanding the priorities and positions underpinning sectoral responses can help drive a more coherent NCD response, and lessons from the Pacific are relevant to public health nutrition policy and practice globally.