Download or read book Physics of the Ionosphere for OTH Operation written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this report is to familiarize the Environmental Assessment radar operators with (a) the complex ionospheric phenomena that vary with location (geography), time of the day, and season and (b) with the phenomena of solar origin that affect the environment surrounding the earth. The first section describes the basic features of the ionosphere, which are an integral part of the radar system, the mirror which enables the operation of the radar. The second section discusses the effect of solar and geomagnetic activity, which control the ionospheric behavior. The last section deals with the not so uncommon disturbed ionosphere, a part of which is due to the electrodynamics of the system, and the other is to events taking place far away from the earth, on the sun. The anticipated effects of these three kinds of phenomena on the radar performance are discussed, which should help the operator to determine if performance degradation is caused by the radar system or its environment.