A statistical study of the F2 layer stratification at the northern equatorial ionization anomaly

Abstract Ionograms recorded at Puer station (PUR, 22.7°N, 101.05°E, Dip Latitude 12.9°N) in the Southwest of China from January 2015 to December 2016 were used to study characteristics of the F2 layer stratification at the northern equatorial ionization anomaly. Ionosonde observations show that the development of the F2 layer stratification is different under different conditions. Both the upward and downward movement of the F2 layer stratification could be observed. The F2 layer stratification could occur both at daytime and nighttime. The new cusp could originate from different positions on ionograms. Moreover, statistical results indicate that the F2 layer stratification occurred later in the winter than in other seasons at daytime, it occurred frequently in the local spring, and most of ionograms with the F2 layer stratification at post-midnight occurred in March and April. Our results also show that the F2 layer stratification has a correlation with solar activity.