Seasonal Variation of Post-sunset and Post-midnight Equatorial Plasma Bubble in Malaysia during Moderate Solar Activity Level

Abstract

The equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) is a common event that occurred at the F-layer of the ionosphere due to plasma irregularities. Its occurrence can be observed around sunset and midnight hours, depending on the season. In this study, ROTI plot measurement was utilized in EPB detection, where the data was obtained from the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (JUPEM). The seasonal variation of EPB in Langkawi, Malaysia was investigated for both post-sunset and post-midnight occurrence within the period of moderate solar activity year (2011). The result showed that EPB was varied with season, where both post-sunset and post-midnight EPB were highly observed during the equinoctial month (March and April) compared to June solstice. However, the post-sunset EPBs were found dominant during equinox while post-midnight EPBs were during June solstice.