PARAMETERIZED IONOSPHERIC MODEL - A GLOBAL IONOSPHERIC PARAMETERIZATION BASED ON FIRST PRINCIPLES MODELS

We describe a parameterized ionospheric model (PIM), a global model of theoretical ionospheric climatology based on diurnally reproducible runs of four physics based numerical models of the ionosphere. The four numerical models, taken together, cover the E and F layers for all latitudes, longitudes, and local times. PIM consists of a semianalytic representation of diurnally reproducible runs of these models for low, moderate, and high levels of both solar and geomagnetic activity and for June and December solstice and March equinox conditions. PIM produces output in several user selectable formats including global or regional latitude/longitude grids (in either geographic or geomagnetic coordinates), a set of user-specified points (which could lie along a satellite orbital path), or an altitude/azimuth/elevation grid for a user-specified location. The user selectable output variables include profile parameters (f(0)F(2), h(m)F(2), total electron content, etc.), electron density profiles, and ion composition (O+, NO+, and O-2(+)).