Comparison of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles and Spread-F Observations Using 2-D GPS ΔTEC Data Maps and Ionosonde Measurements over the South American Sector

We report our cross-validation of equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) observations based on 2-D ΔTEC data maps over the South American sector, against equatorial spread-F (ESF) observations based on digisonde measurements at several locations. The 2-D ΔTEC data maps were derived using a GPS TEC data detrending procedure [Pradipta et al., 2015] that is inherently capable of distinguishing between wavelike fluctuations associated with traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) and deep depletions associated with EPBs. The data detrending was performed for TEC signals along individual ionospheric piercing point (IPP) trajectories from individual stations, before spatially interpolating the ΔTEC values into a fine 0.2 deg x 0.2 deg geographic latitude/longitude grid. We validated the EPB/depletion observations from these 2-D ΔTEC data maps against digisonde observations of ESF occurrences at Jicamarca (JI91J), Cachoeira Paulista (CAJ2M), and Fortaleza (FZA0M) using data recorded in 2011. A general agreement was fou...