Practical Ionosphere

This book is intended to provide a reader with a systematic description of a theory of ionosphere mainly from two points of view. An engineer, researcher or scientist, who works with various radio tools and instruments, often needs to account for errors, noises or disturbances caused by ionosphere. These effects are very important for radio communication and for positioning with GNSS. GNSS in its turn is tightly related to numerous geodetic and geophysical applications. On the other hand, the effects of ionosphere on radio signal propagation allows one to derive a huge amount of information about the Earth. This information is indispensable for us in order to understand physics of an atmosphere of Earth and planets and consequently to understand better our Universe. Moreover, from these data scientists can derive more immediate and practical information related to earthquake prediction, climate change, natural resources and so on. The book concentrates on these subjects, as well as on models and instruments, which one can use to better understand how ionosphere works and measure some of its characteristics and parameters. This book is based on 5-year research work and instrument development. The main purpose of this project was to mitigate scintillation effects on GNSS, which are the main tool for ionospheric research. During this project, authors had developed a ionospheric scintillation monitor, which is described in detail in the book. The book systematizes theory behind ionospheric phenomena from a rather practical point of view, which would allow readers to implement knowledge in practical applications, especially related to telecommunication, positioning and measurements. It is suitable for students, engineers, and academics.