Advanced Ionospheric Probe: In-depth probe information: http://tao.cgu.org.tw/index.php/articles/archive/space-science/item/1500-2016091401eof5 http://www.ncu.edu.tw/en/campus/article/1702 Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 launched from Vandenberg, California August 24th, 2017 (local date) carrying the Advanced Ionospheric Probe (AIP). Launch and stage 1 landing video:
Quite an interesting science mission...please come back and fill us in when there is enough data to reach some conclusions. It would be quite a win if it turns out that satellites could give reliable advanced warning of earthquakes. "The AIP is designed in total availability of ionospheric parameters and high sample rate to study space science like equatorial plasma irregularities, background ionosphere, and ionospheric disturbance caused by geomagnetic storm and earth science like ionospheric perturbations by pre-seismic activities as follows." "One of the most important phenomena in the equatorial ionosphere is the generation of the equatorial spread F (ESF). It is expected that the ESF is related to plasma density irregularity structure caused by initial seeding perturbations from the large-scale gravitational Rayleigh-Taylor instability (Haerendel 1973; Ossakow 1981). The disturbed structure is generated at the bottom side of the F region and can be developed and extended to the topside ionosphere with very large gradient in plasma concentrations. One of the most important phenomena in the equatorial ionosphere is the generation of the equatorial spread F (ESF). It is expected that the ESF is related to plasma density irregularity structure caused by initial seeding perturbations from the large-scale gravitational Rayleigh-Taylor instability (Haerendel 1973; Ossakow 1981). The disturbed structure is generated at the bottom side of the F region and can be developed and extended to the topside ionosphere very large gradient in plasma concentrations. These irregularities can seriously affect the propagation of radio waves over a large range of frequencies. Strong scintillations have been observed from high frequency to GHz frequency range. Therefore, the statistical survey of the global distributionsof the ionospheric density irregularities is very important. These patterns have been investigated in a macro-level approach by McClure et al. (1998) with AE-E spacecraft observation and Su et al. (2006) with ROCSAT-1/IPEI data in the last two decades. The FORMOSAT-5/AIP will continue the previous studies to examine the long-term trend of these patterns in this decade." "Recently Oyama et al. (2008) examined ionospheric electron temperatures observed by HINOTORI satellite during three earthquakes; M6.6 occurred in November 1981,M7.4 and M6.6 in January 1982 over the Philippines, respectively. It was found that the electron temperature around the epicenters significantly decreased in the afternoon periods within 5 days before and after the three earthquakes." "Once comprehensive data set is available from the AIP, a systematic examination of longitudinal and seasonal variations in the ionospheric parameters in the topside F region can be conducted for all latitudinal coverage like the tem perature crests and troughs example. The transient and long-term variations in ionospheric plasma can be monitored in a solar activity decline phase and benefit the public and scientists interested in space weather/climate as well as the seismic precursors associated with strong earthquakes."
