Middle-Scale Ionospheric Disturbances Observed by the Oblique-Incidence Ionosonde Detection Network in North China after the 2011 Tohoku Tsunamigenic Earthquake

Abstract

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and the following enormous tsunami caused great disturbances in the ionosphere that were observed in various regions along the Pacific Ocean. In this study, the oblique-incidence ionosonde detection network located in North China was applied to investigate the inland ionospheric disturbances related to the 2011 tsunamigenic earthquake. The ionosonde network consists of five transmitters and 20 receivers and can monitor regional ionosphere disturbances continuously and effectively. Based on the recorded electron density variations along the horizontal plane, the planar middle-scale ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) associated with the 2011 Tohoku tsunamigenic earthquake were detected more than 2000 km west of the epicenter about six hours later. The MSTIDs captured by the Digisonde, high-frequency (HF) Doppler measurement, and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) satellite provided more information about the far-field inland propagation characteristics of the westward propagating gravity waves. The results imply that the ionosonde network has the potential for remote sensing of ionospheric disturbances induced by tsunamigenic earthquakes and provide a perspective for investigating the propagation process of associated gravity waves.