Study on the Adaptability of Global Ionoshperic Scintillation Model at Low Latitude in China

A forecast of ionospheric scintillations can provide the opportunity for radio communication system to take appropriate action to mitigate the effects and optimize service. The Global Ionospheric Scintillation Model (GISM) by Béniguel was developed to forecast the global ionospheric scintillation condition. To check the prediction accuracy of the model at low latitude in China, this paper compares the model predictions with observed L-band ionospheric scintillation data at three low-latitude stations in China from July 2011 to June 2012. The results show that the model predictions had a good correlation with the statistical characteristics of the scintillation during solar maximum. The predicted beginning time of the scintillation agreed with measurements in general, while the end time was delayed for about an hour. As to the maximum scintillation intensity, the predictions could reproduce the measurements fairly well. Under the same cumulate probability condition, the model had somewhat higher prediction precision for each given scintillation intensity. The predicted percentage of occurrence and intensity of scintillation show gradual decrease versus latitude, which is consistence with measurement.