Simultaneous monitoring of the limited area ionosphere with the use of GPS and ionosonde.

• In this study, we conducted a statistical analysis of foF2 and TEC data under both ionospheric quiet and disturbed conditions, employing the ionospheric slab thickness model. • The utilization of Kriging with external drift (KED) in generating maps has enhanced their realism. • The inclusion of foF2 data from the map's periphery has resulted in the overall stabilization of the map. • Based on our findings, we can conclude that the correlation distance between ionospheric characteristics should not exceed the range of 120–300 km. The importance of this study lies in its contribution to the field of ionospheric science, particularly in the monitoring and prediction of ionospheric parameters. This study focuses on comparing two techniques for spatio-temporal kriging of critical ionospheric parameters, namely the F2 layer critical frequency (foF2) and Total Electron Content (TEC), under both quiet and disturbed ionospheric conditions. The first technique, Ordinary Kriging (OK), relies solely on foF2 data, while the second technique, Kriging with External Drift (KED), incorporates the dynamic relationship between foF2 and TEC data to improve the interpolation process. This study demonstrates how KED, which utilizes dynamic secondary information, offers advantages over OK. By simultaneously monitoring the ionosphere from a single ionosonde station and collecting data from visible GPS satellites, KED enhances the accuracy of spatial structural analysis, enabling more precise estimations of ionospheric characteristics across interpolation grid nodes. The research highlights that the non-uniform distribution of ionosonde stations, especially in regions with limited foF2 data, can benefit from KED's incorporation of TEC data. Additionally, the study reveals the potential for improving TEC maps by assimilating foF2 data located at the periphery of the observation area. Furthermore, the paper discusses the determination of semivariogram structures for both foF2 and TEC data, emphasizing the spatial correlations between data points. These findings contribute to a better understanding of ionospheric behavior and the potential for enhanced ionospheric modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]