Validation of FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC radio occultation electron density profiles by incoherent scatter radar data

•Electron density profiles from COSMIC RO measurements were compared with those observed by ISR.•The coincidence of COSMIC and ISR profiles is better in the cases when RO trace is closer to the radar location.•The compared profiles are in a good agreement, both in the F2 peak electron density and the shape of the profiles.

Low Earth Orbiting satellites carrying a dual frequency GPS receiver onboard offer a unique opportunity to remote sensing of the global ionosphere on a continuous basis. No other profiling technique unifies profiling through the entire F2-layer with global coverage. The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC data can make a positive impact on the global ionosphere study providing essential information about the height electron density distribution and particularly over regions that are not accessible with ground-based measuring instruments such as ionosondes and GPS dual frequency receivers. Therefore, it is important to verify occultation profiles with other techniques and to obtain experience in the reliability of their derivation. In the given study we present results of comparison of the electron density profiles derived from radio occultation measurements on-board FS-3/COSMIC and from the Kharkov incoherent scatter radar sounding.