Statistics of long-term ionospheric measurements

Abstract. It is shown that after elimination of the dominant influence of solar activity, the height hmF2 of the maximum ionisation of the ionosphere (which is inversely linearly related to M(3000)F2 as described for example by the Shimazaki formula) shows a marked decrease during the recent solar minimum (2005 to 2009) of about 20 km. This is in accordance with results of studies of the decreased neutral density of the lower thermosphere and the density decrease at about 400 km during the unusual recent solar minimum. It is also shown that there is a trend reversal in the height of the ionosphere hmF2 in about 1963/1964 with a negative trend from 1942 to 1963 and a positive trend from 1964 to 2005. This is in contrast to the results reported in most other publications of ionospheric long-term trends. There is no significant trend in foF2 and, particularly, none of the effects described above for hmF2 could be found in foF2.