Abstract:
The earlier evolved method for the forecast of the spatiotemporal variation of L band scintillation
based on the expected variation of the perturbations, under favorable ionospheric/thermospheric conditions,
has been refined by duly accounting for the local time variation of the zonal velocity of the perturbations.
The unique combination of the two geostationary satellites (GSAT-8 and GSAT-10) over the Indian zone has
been used to estimate the typical local time dependence of the perturbation velocities by closely following
identifiable features in the scintillation pattern. The measured velocities, that registered a steady decrease with
the progression of night, had been shown to significantly alter the forecast pattern of the scintillations with
respect to longitude and local time. The significant improvement in the forecast pattern has been demonstrated
through a case study putting the forecast method on a firmer footing.
