A statistical study of internal gravity wave characteristics using the combined Irkutsk Incoherent Scatter Radar and Digisonde data

Abstract Using previously developed methods for determining the three-dimensional spatial–temporal structure of traveling ionospheric disturbances and the automatic detection of wave disturbances, we analyzed data obtained simultaneously with the Irkutsk Incoherent Scatter Radar and Irkutsk ionosonde. The analysis relies on long continuous series of observations acquired during winter seasons in 2010–2014. We obtained representative statistics of traveling ionospheric disturbances characteristics including the full velocity vector. We analyzed the characteristics of traveling ionospheric disturbances with 1–6 h periods comparing them against the dispersion relations for internal gravity waves in the Boussinesq and Hines approximations. It was shown that, with due consideration for the horizontal neutral wind, most of the observed ionospheric disturbances agrees with the laws of internal gravity waves propagation in the upper atmosphere. It was found that azimuthal anisotropy of internal gravity waves characteristics allows us to obtain the diurnal variations of zonal and meridional neutral winds in the upper atmosphere.