Regional reference total electron content model over Japan based on neural network mapping techniques

A regional reference model of total electron content (TEC) was constructed using data from the GPS Earth Observation Network (GEONET), which consists of more than 1000 Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite receivers distributed over Japan. The data covered almost one solar activity period from April 1997 to June 2007. First, TECs were determined for 32 grid points, expanding from 27 to 45 N in latitude and from 127 to 145 E in longitude at 15-min intervals. Secondly, the time-latitude variation averaged over three days was determined by using the surface harmonic functional expansion. The coefficients of the expansion were then modeled by using a neural network technique with input parameters of the season (day of the year) and solar activity (F10.7 index and sunspot number). Thus, two-dimensional TEC maps (time vs. latitude) can be obtained for any given set of solar activity and day of the year.