Statistical characteristics of ionogram spread-F and satellite traces over a Chinese low-latitude station Sanya

Ionosonde ionogram measurements over Sanya (18°N, 109°E; 13°N dip latitude), China during 2012-2013 are used to investigate the occurrence characteristics of spread-F (SF) and satellite traces (STs), and the possible correlation between them under the weak solar maximum of solar cycle 24. The SF and STs were manually identified from ionograms. The results show that the diurnal pattern of SF peaks at post-sunset during equinox, and at post-midnight during summer months, respectively. By classifying the SF into range spread-F (RSF) and frequency spread-F (FSF), it is found that the SF during equinox are mostly RSF associated with the equatorial F-region irregularities and can be explained by the generalized Rayleigh-Taylor instability. A statistics on the RSF and STs shows that not all RSF events were preceded by STs, and not all STs led to RSF development. The monthly mean value of the sunset ionospheric F2 layer peak height (hmF2) on RSF days is apparently higher than that on non RSF days. This result provides statistically consistent evidence that both the sunset rapid rising of the F-layer and the presence of F-region bottomside density perturbations (as indicated by STs) are important factors for the equinoctial RSF onset and development. However in summer months, the occurrences of RSF and FSF are comparable. Most FSF initiated at midnight. And there was no close relationship between the summer time FSF, F-layer height increase and STs. We suggest that the midnight FSF during summer months observed over Sanya might not be resulting from the decaying of post-sunset RSF initiated at equatorial latitude, but due to the quite localized generation of F-region irregularities.