Variation of TEC Over South Africa During a Geomagnetic Storm

Abstract

The ionosphere affects how radio waves propagate from the satellite to ground based receivers. During geomagnetic storms the Total Electron Content (TEC) varies due to the driving forces of the storm. The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) near-real time TEC map version 2 was used to show how the ionosphere varied during the geomagnetic storm of 19 - 23 Dec 2021. The Global Positioning System (GPS), ionosondes, and the quiet-time AFriTEC model were compared during the five day period. During the period of analysis, the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) were greater during the geomagnetic storm as compared with quiet days. The decrease in TEC were observed on 20 and 21 Dec 2021 during a geomagnetic storm period. The estimated TEC from the GPS and ionosode had similar temporal variations and magnitudes.