Ground-based and additional science support for SMILE

The joint European Space Agency and Chinese Academy of Sciences Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission will explore global dynamics of the magnetosphere under varying solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field conditions,and simultaneously monitor the auroral response of the Northern Hemisphere ionosphere.Combining these large-scale responses with medium and fine-scale measurements at a variety of cadences by additional ground-based and space-based instruments will enable a much greater scientific impact beyond the original goals of the SMILE mission.Here,we describe current community efforts to prepare for SMILE,and the benefits and context various experiments that have explicitly expressed support for SMILE can offer.A dedicated group of international scientists representing many different experiment types and geographical locations,the Ground-based and Additional Science Working Group,is facilitating these efforts.Preparations include constructing an online SMILE Data Fusion Facility,the discussion of particular or special modes for experiments such as coherent and incoherent scatter radar,and the consideration of particular observing strategies and spacecraft conjunctions.We anticipate growing interest and community engagement with the SMILE mission,and we welcome novel ideas and insights from the solar-terrestrial community.

On the apparent line-of-sight alignment of the peak X-ray intensity of the magnetosheath and the tangent to the magnetopause,as viewed by SMILE-SXI

The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)on board the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)spacecraft will be able to view the Earth’s magnetosheath in soft X-rays.Simulated images of the X-ray emission visible from the position of SMILE are created for a range of solar wind densities by using 3 years of the SMILE mission orbit,together with models of the expected X-ray emissivity from the Earth’s magnetosheath.Results from global magnetohydrodynamic simulations and a simple model for exospheric neutral densities are used to compare the locations of the lines of sight along which integrated soft X-ray intensities peak with the lines of sight lying tangent to surfaces(defined here to be the magnetopause)along which local soft X-ray intensities peak or exhibit their strongest gradients,or both,for strongly southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions when no depletion or low-latitude boundary layers are expected.Where,in the parameter space of the various times and seasons,orbital phases,solar wind conditions,and magnetopause models,the alignment of the X-ray emission peak with the magnetopause tangent is good,or is not,is presented.The main results are as follows.The spacecraft needs to be positioned well outside the magnetopause;low-altitude times near perigee are not good.In addition,there are seasonal aspects:dayside-apogee orbits are generally very good because the spacecraft travels out sunward at high altitude,but nightside-apogee orbits,behind the Earth,are bad because the spacecraft only rarely leaves the magnetopause.Dusk-apogee and dawnapogee orbits are intermediate.Dayside-apogee orbits worsen slightly over the first three mission years,whereas nightside-apogee orbits improve slightly.Additionally,many more times of good agreement with the peak-to-tangent hypothesis occur when the solar wind is in a high-density state,as opposed to a low-density state.In a high-density state,the magnetopause is compressed,and the spacecraft is more often a good distance outside the magnetopause.

Origins of perturbations in dayside equatorial ground magnetograms

To determine the cause(s)of perturbations seen in dayside equatorial ground magnetograms,we conducted a systematic survey of simultaneous ground-based and geosynchronous satellite-based observations during the 90-day period from December 1,2020 to February 28,2021.We examined Huancayo ground magnetometer observations from 14:00:00 to 20:00:00 UT each day,during which Huancayo passed through local noon.From those data we chose perturbation events selected on the basis of large(>20 nT)event amplitude and classified the selected events as responding primarily to solar wind pressure,or to variations in the north/south component of the interplanetary magnetic field(IMF Bz),or perhaps in part to both.The results show that an equivalent number of events were identified for each model during this 90-day period.Variations in the lagged solar wind dynamic pressure routinely correspond to nearly simultaneous sudden impulses recorded at both geosynchronous orbit and on the ground.Variations in IMF Bz produce erosion signatures at geosynchronous orbit and can correspond to ground events if lag times for reconnection to enhance convection in the magnetosphere are taken into account.

Using restored two-dimensional X-ray images to reconstruct the three-dimensional magnetopause

Astronomical imaging technologies are basic tools for the exploration of the universe,providing basic data for the research of astronomy and space physics.The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)carried by the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)aims to capture two-dimensional(2-D)images of the Earth’s magnetosheath by using soft X-ray imaging.However,the observed 2-D images are affected by many noise factors,destroying the contained information,which is not conducive to the subsequent reconstruction of the three-dimensional(3-D)structure of the magnetopause.The analysis of SXI-simulated observation images shows that such damage cannot be evaluated with traditional restoration models.This makes it difficult to establish the mapping relationship between SXIsimulated observation images and target images by using mathematical models.We propose an image restoration algorithm for SXIsimulated observation images that can recover large-scale structure information on the magnetosphere.The idea is to train a patch estimator by selecting noise–clean patch pairs with the same distribution through the Classification–Expectation Maximization algorithm to achieve the restoration estimation of the SXI-simulated observation image,whose mapping relationship with the target image is established by the patch estimator.The Classification–Expectation Maximization algorithm is used to select multiple patch clusters with the same distribution and then train different patch estimators so as to improve the accuracy of the estimator.Experimental results showed that our image restoration algorithm is superior to other classical image restoration algorithms in the SXI-simulated observation image restoration task,according to the peak signal-to-noise ratio and structural similarity.The restoration results of SXI-simulated observation images are used in the tangent fitting approach and the computed tomography approach toward magnetospheric reconstruction techniques,significantly improving the reconstruction results.Hence,the proposed technology may be feasible for processing SXI-simulated observation images.

Simulation of the SMILE Soft X-ray Imager response to a southward interplanetary magnetic field turning

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)will shine a spotlight on magnetopause dynamics during magnetic reconnection.We simulate an event with a southward interplanetary magnetic field turning and produce SXI count maps with a 5-minute integration time.By making assumptions about the magnetopause shape,we find the magnetopause standoff distance from the count maps and compare it with the one obtained directly from the magnetohydrodynamic(MHD)simulation.The root mean square deviations between the reconstructed and MHD standoff distances do not exceed 0.2 RE(Earth radius)and the maximal difference equals 0.24 RE during the 25-minute interval around the southward turning.

Assessment of International GNSS Service Global Ionosphere Map products over China region based on measurements from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China

The global ionosphere maps(GIM)provided by the International GNSS Service(IGS)are extensively utilized for ionospheric morphology monitoring,scientific research,and practical application.Assessing the credibility of GIM products in data-sparse regions is of paramount importance.In this study,measurements from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China(CMONOC)are leveraged to evaluate the suitability of IGS-GIM products over China region in 2013-2014.The indices of mean error(ME),root mean square error(RMSE),and normalized RMSE(NRMSE)are then utilized to quantify the accuracy of IGS-GIM products.Results revealed distinct local time and latitudinal dependencies in IGS-GIM errors,with substantially high errors at nighttime(NRMSE:39%)and above 40°latitude(NRMSE:49%).Seasonal differences also emerged,with larger equinoctial deviations(NRMSE:33.5%)compared with summer(20%).A preliminary analysis implied that the irregular assimilation of sparse IGS observations,compounded by China’s distinct geomagnetic topology,may manifest as error variations.These results suggest that modeling based solely on IGS-GIM observations engenders inadequate representations across China and that a thorough examination would proffer the necessary foundation for advancing regional total electron content(TEC)constructions.

Analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)satellite is a small magnetosphere–ionosphere link explorer developed cooperatively between China and Europe.It pioneers the use of X-ray imaging technology to perform large-scale imaging of the Earth’s magnetosheath and polar cusp regions.It uses a high-precision ultraviolet imager to image the overall configuration of the aurora and monitor changes in the source of solar wind in real time,using in situ detection instruments to improve human understanding of the relationship between solar activity and changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.The SMILE satellite is scheduled to launch in 2025.The European Incoherent Scatter Sciences Association(EISCAT)-3D radar is a new generation of European incoherent scatter radar constructed by EISCAT and is the most advanced ground-based ionospheric experimental device in the high-latitude polar region.It has multibeam and multidirectional quasi-real-time three-dimensional(3D)imaging capabilities,continuous monitoring and operation capabilities,and multiple-baseline interferometry capabilities.Joint detection by the SMILE satellite and the EISCAT-3D radar is of great significance for revealing the coupling process of the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere.Therefore,we performed an analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D,analyzed the period during which the two can perform joint detection,and defined the key scientific problems that can be solved by joint detection.In addition,we developed Web-based software to search for and visualize the joint detection period of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar,which lays the foundation for subsequent joint detection experiments and scientific research.

Assessment of the performance of the TOPGNSS and ANN-MB antennas for ionospheric measurements using low-cost u-blox GNSS receivers

Low-cost GNSS receivers have recently been gaining reliability as good candidates for ionospheric studies. In line with these gains are genuine concerns about improving the performance of these receivers. In this work, we present a comprehensive investigation of the performances of two antennas(the u-blox ANN-MB and the TOPGNSS TOP-106) used on a low-cost GNSS receiver known as the u-blox ZED-F9P. The two antennas were installed on two identical and co-located u-blox receivers. Data used from both receivers cover the period from January to June 2022. Results from the study indicate that the signal strengths are dominantly greater for the receiver with the TOPGNSS antenna than for the receiver with the ANN-MB antenna, implying that the TOPGNSS antenna is better than the ANN-MB antenna in terms of providing greater signal strengths. Summarily, the TOPGNSS antenna also performed better in minimizing the occurrence of cycle slips on phase TEC measurements. There are no conspicuous differences between the variances(computed as 5-min standard deviations) of phase TEC measurements for the two antennas, except for a period around May-June when the TOPGNSS gave a better performance in terms of minimizing the variances in phase TEC. Remarkably, the ANN-MB antenna gave a better performance than the TOPGNSS antenna in terms of minimizing the variances in pseudorange TEC for some satellite observations. For precise horizontal(North and East) positioning, the receiver with the TOPGNSS antenna gave better results, while the receiver with the ANN-MB antenna gave better vertical(Up) positioning. The errors for the receivers of both antennas are typically within about 5 m(the monthly mean was usually smaller than 1 m) in the horizontal direction and within about 10 m(the monthly mean was usually smaller than 4 m) in the vertical direction.

Preface to the Special Issue on Modeling and Data Analysis Methods for the SMILE mission

The SMILE(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)project(http://www.nssc.cas.cn/smile/,https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/smile/mission)is a joint spacecraft mission of the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)with an expected launch in 2025.SMILE aims to study the global interactions of solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere innovatively by imaging the Earth’s magnetosheath and cusps in soft X-rays and the northern auroral region in ultraviolet(UV)while simultaneously measuring plasma and magnetic field parameters in the solar wind and magnetosheath along a highly-elliptical and highly-inclined orbit.This special issue is composed of 22 articles,presenting recent progress in modeling and data analysis techniques developed for the SMILE mission.In this preface,we categorize the articles into the following seven topics and provide brief summaries:(1)instrument descriptions of the Soft X-ray Imager(SXI),(2)numerical modeling of the X-ray signals,(3)data processing of the X-ray images,(4)boundary tracing methods from the simulated images,(5)physical phenomena and a mission concept related to the scientific goals of SMILE-SXI,(6)studies of the aurora,and(7)ground-based support for SMILE.

The anisotropy of suprathermal electrons in the Martian ionosphere

Suprathermal electrons are an important population of the Martian ionosphere, either produced by photoionization of atmospheric neutrals or supplied from the Solar Wind (SW). This study is dedicated to an in-depth investigation of the pitch angle distribution of suprathermal electrons at two representative energies, 19−55 eV and 124−356 eV, using the extensive measurements made by the Solar Wind Electron Analyzer on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution. Throughout the study, we focus on the overall degree of anisotropy, defined as the standard deviation of suprathermal electron intensity among different directions which is normalized by the mean omni-directional intensity. The available data reveal the following characteristics: (1) In general, low energy electrons are more isotropic than high energy electrons, and dayside electrons are more isotropic than nightside electrons;(2) On the dayside, the anisotropy increases with increasing altitude at low energies but remains roughly constant at high energies, whereas on the nightside, the anisotropy decreases with increasing altitude at all energies;(3) Electrons tend to be more isotropic in strongly magnetized regions than in weakly magnetized regions, especially on the nightside. These observations indicate that the anisotropy is a useful diagnostic of suprathermal electron transport, for which the conversion between the parallel and perpendicular momenta as required by the conservation of the first adiabatic invariant, along with the atmospheric absorption at low altitudes, are two crucial factors modulating the observed variation of the anisotropy. Our analysis also highlights the different roles on the observed anisotropy exerted by suprathermal electrons of different origins.

The nature of electron density enhancement over a wide altitude range during ionosphere heating experiments at EISCAT

During the course of ionospheric heating experiments, researchers at the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) observed an apparent electron density enhancement. The enhancement extended over a wide range of altitudes, above the reflection altitude of the high-frequency pump wave. However, whether this enhancement actually corresponds to a true enhancement in electron density remains an open question. When the dispersion relation of ion acoustic waves is followed, the frequency ratio of the enhanced ion line to the background ion line suggests that the profile of the effective ion mass may have remained unchanged. Furthermore, the solar radio flux and ion drift velocity indicate no significant changes in the ion species and their densities. In conclusion, the electron density enhancement observed at EISCAT should not, in fact, be considered a true enhancement.

Influence of topography on the fine structures of stratospheric gravity waves:An analysis using COSMIC-2 temperature data

We derive the potential energy of gravity waves(GWs)in the upper troposphere and stratosphere at 45°S-45°N from December 2019 to November 2022 by using temperature profiles retrieved from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology,Ionosphere,and Climate-2(COSMIC-2)satellite.Owing to the dense sampling of COSMIC-2,in addition to the strong peaks of gravity wave potential energy(GWPE)above the Andes and Tibetan Plateau,we found weak peaks above the Rocky,Atlas,Caucasus,and Tianshan Mountains.The land-sea contrast is responsible for the longitudinal variations of the GWPE in the lower and upper stratosphere.At 40°N/S,the peaks were mainly above the topographic regions during the winter.At 20°N/S,the peaks were a slight distance away from the topographic regions and might be the combined effect of nontopographic GWs and mountain waves.Near the Equator,the peaks were mainly above the regions with the lowest sea level altitude and may have resulted from convection.Our results indicate that even above the local regions with lower sea level altitudes compared with the Andes and Tibetan Plateau,the GWPE also exhibits fine structures in geographic distributions.We found that dissipation layers above the tropopause jet provide the body force to generate secondary waves in the upper stratosphere,especially during the winter months of each hemisphere and at latitudes of greater than 20°N/S.

Cost-Efficient Medium Frequency Propagation Research with Software Defined Radio

Medium Frequency radio holds significance in modern society as it supports broadcasting and individual communications in the public, government, and military sectors. Enhancing the availability and quality of these communications is only possible by enhancing the understanding of medium frequency propagation. While traditional methods of radio wave propagation research can have a high material demand and cost, software defined radio presents itself as a versatile and low-cost platform for medium frequency signal reception and data acquisition. This paper details a research effort that utilizes software defined radio to help characterize medium frequency signal strength in relation to ionospheric and solar weather propagation determinants. Signal strength data from seven medium frequency stations of unique transmission locations and varying transmission powers were retrieved in 24-hour segments via a receiving loop antenna, Airspy HF+ Discovery software defined radio, and SDR Sharp software interface network. Retrieved data sets were visualized and analyzed in MATLAB for the identification of signal strength trends, which were subsequently compared to historical ionospheric and space weather indices in pursuit of a quantifiable correlation between such indices and medium frequency signal strengths. The results of the investigation prove that software defined radio, when used in conjunction with a receiving antenna and data analysis program, provides a versatile mechanism for cost-efficient propagation research.

A novel geomagnetic satellite constellation:Science and applications

The European Space Agency(ESA)’s Swarm constellation of a trio of geomagnetic survey satellites in nearly circular polar orbits at altitude about 500 km was launched on 22 November 2013 and has been mapping the Earth’s global magnetic field in unprecedented details,helping scientists better understand how the geomagnetic field is generated and maintained inside the Earth’s fluid core and how the Earth’s external magnetic environment is changing.This review discusses a new novel constellation of the geomagnetic survey satellites that consists of at least four satellites:two satellites are in lower-latitude and nearly circular orbits at altitude about 450 km;two further satellites are marked by nearly polar but strongly eccentric orbits with perigee about 200 km and apogee about 5000 km.The new geomagnetic satellites are equipped with highly stable optical benches,high-precision fluxgate magnetometers and scalar magnetometers which are capable of mapping the Earth’s three-dimensional magnetic field in unprecedented accuracies and details.The new constellation will help elucidate different contributions to the measured geomagnetic field:the core dynamo field,the lithospheric magnetic field,the magnetic fields produced by currents in the ionosphere and the magnetosphere as well as by the currents coupling the ionosphere and magnetosphere,and the magnetic fields induced from the electrically conducting mantle,lithosphere and oceans.In comparison to the Swarm mission,it will provide higher-accuracy,higher-resolution and higher-dimension measurements of the geomagnetic field required for shedding new insights into the core dynamo processes and the Earth’s space magnetic systems along with a wide range of important applications.

Ionospheric precursors of strong earthquakes observed using six GNSS stations data during continuous five years(2011-2015)

This study reports the morphological characteristics of anomalous variations in Global Navigation Satellite System Total Electron Content(GNSS-TEC) prior to the strong local earthquakes(EQ) that occurred during the period of 2011-2015.We have analyzed 20 earthquakes of magnitude M> 5.6.A statistical technique is implemented on the data of six GNSS stations located in Tashkent,Kitab,and Maidanak in Uzbekistan,and Islamabad,Multan,Quetta in Pakistan.The results show continuous anomalous variations in TEC during 24 h befo re the occupancy of local earthquakes.It is shown that the precursors before the occurrence of strong earthquakes,in particular of magnitude 5.7,7.7,7.5,7.8 and 7.3 are detected near Eastern Uzbekistan(26 May 2013),Southwestern Pakistan(24 September 2013),Hindukush region of Afghanistan(26 October 2015),and Central Nepal(25 April 2015) and(12 May 2015),respectively.The ionospheric anomalies appearing before the strong earthquakes at six GNSS stations are registered in 14cases(70%) out of 20 selected EQs.It is depicted that anomalies referred to as ionospheric precursors appeared about 1-7 days prior to the occurrence of strong earthquakes.

Theoretical study of the ionospheric dynamo region inside the South Atlantic Anomaly

The South Atlantic Anomaly(SAA)is a region where the geomagnetic field is significantly lower than that of the surrounding area.On the basis of the models of CHAOS-7.8,Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter Model(NRLMSISE-00),and International Reference Ionosphere 2016(IRI-2016),we theoretically investigated the lower and upper boundaries of the ionospheric dynamo region inside the SAA.In the ionospheric dynamo region,electrons are coupled with magnetic field lines,whereas ions are decoupled from magnetic field lines.Our results showed that the ionospheric dynamo region inside the SAA is higher and larger than that outside the SAA.We also studied the boundary variations of the dynamo region inside the SAA depending on the seasons and solar activities.We found that the dynamo region inside the SAA is the highest and largest in the summer of the southern hemisphere at solar maximum.The larger and higher altitude range of the ionospheric dynamo region in the SAA can contribute to the stronger ionospheric currents in this region.

Solar cycle variations in equatorial ionospheric zonal electric fields near sunrise

In this study,we investigate the solar cycle dependence of the sunrise ionospheric zonal electric fields at the equator under geomagnetically quiet conditions.Simulations using the Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Electrodynamics General Circulation Model(TIEGCM)reveal that the equatorial eastward electric field at sunrise decreases with the increase in solar activity,independent of longitude,season,and lower atmospheric tides.The solar cycle dependence of the sunrise zonal electric field is mainly related to the zonal wind dynamo.Moreover,this solar cycle dependence of sunrise electric fields at the equator is dominated by the corresponding variation in the F-region dynamo because the response of conductivity and neutral winds near sunrise to increasing solar flux is stronger in the F-region than in the E-region,although the sunrise eastward enhancement of electric fields is mainly driven by the E-region zonal wind dynamo.Specifically,the westward gradient of low-latitude F-region neutral winds near the dawn terminator tends to produce westward electric fields in the equatorial region that are more pronounced at solar maximum,whereas the midlatitude E-region dynamo induces an eastward enhancement of sunrise electric fields at the equator that decreases slightly with increasing solar activity.This study also reveals that the reason the eastward enhancement of equatorial zonal electric fields near dawn and dusk terminators show opposite solar cycle dependence is because of their different generation mechanisms.

Suppression of Plasma Bubbles over South America under Weak Geomagnetic Perturbations

During a long-term Equatorial Plasma Bubbles(EPBs)occurrence between October 2020 and March 2021,a significant EPB suppression event was identified on November 22 and the observations from multi-instrument have been utilized to investigate this event.Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk(GOLD)satellite observed prominent EPBs between 23:40 UT and 23:55 UT during the long-term occurrence days.However,no dark stripes representing EPBs were observed on November 22,and the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly(EIA)structure remained intact.The Total Electron Content(TEC)maps show that these EPBs appeared in the region between 35°W and 65°W longitudes and the magnitudes of the TEC loss in EPBs regions were about 20 TECU.Except for 22 November,the S4 index was consistently greater than 0.6 throughout November,indicating significant ionospheric scintillation.The Rate Of TEC Index(ROTI)maps revealed that the spatial extent and intensity of EPBs increased after their suppression,and the EPBs were locally generated.The swarm electron density measurements indicated that the variation amplitudes of EPBs at 510 km altitude were approximately 3 to 5 times larger than that at 460 km altitude.The impact region of EPBs at 510 km was between 15°S and 20°N latitudes,while at 460 km,it was between 0°and 17°N latitudes.During the period of EPB suppression,the average h’f at three ionosonde stations decreased by about 50 km,and the vertical drift velocity(V z)approached~0 m/s while it was more than 20 m/s during the long-term occurrence.

Relationships between ionospheric parameters derived from ionosonde observations and characteristics of post-sunset GHz scintillation during high solar activities(2012−2013)at Sanya(18.3°N,109.6°E),China

In this study,we present characteristics of post-sunset GHz scintillation occurrence and their correlations with ionospheric parameters derived from ionosonde observations in high solar activity years(2012−2013)of solar cycle 24 at Sanya(18.3°N,109.6°E;dip lat.:12.8°N),China.The analyzed data include the F_(2)-layer’s critical frequency(foF_(2)),peak height(h_(m)F_(2)),and minimum virtual height(h’F),as well as the scale height around the F_(2)-layer peak(H_(m)),and virtual height(h’F_(5))and true height(hF_(5))measured at 5 MHz.We have investigated relationships between the equinoctial asymmetry of these scintillations and these ionospheric parameters.In addition,we calculate the growth rates of Rayleigh−Taylor instability on the basis of the ionosonde measurements and theoretical models,respectively.We find that the equinoctial asymmetry of scintillation onset time is associated with the scale length of the vertical electron density gradient(L),which has been shown to affect the growth of Rayleigh−Taylor instability at the bottom of the F-layer.The seasonal variations of foF_(2),H_(m)and scale length of vertical electron density gradient appear to cause the seasonal variations of scintillation occurrence;the equinoctial asymmetry of scintillation occurrence rate over low latitudes appears to be related to background electron density and vertical drifts in the F-layer around time of sunset.Further study is required to explain the observed correlational weakness in low latitudes between scintillation strength,represented by the daily maximum S4,and daily maximum values of foF_(2),h_(m)F_(2),h’F,H_(m),and also the drifts.

Automatic recognition of tweek atmospherics and plasma diagnostics in the lower ionosphere with the machine learning method

Tweek atmospherics are extremely low frequency and very low frequency pulse signals with frequency dispersion characteristics that originate from lightning discharges and that propagate in the Earth–ionosphere waveguide over long distances.In this study,we developed an automatic method to recognize tweek atmospherics and diagnose the lower ionosphere based on the machine learning method.The differences(automatic−manual)in each ionosphere parameter between the automatic method and the manual method were−0.07±2.73 km,0.03±0.92 cm^(−3),and 91±1,068 km for the ionospheric reflection height(h),equivalent electron densities at reflection heights(Ne),and propagation distance(d),respectively.Moreover,the automatic method is capable of recognizing higher harmonic tweek sferics.The evaluation results of the model suggest that the automatic method is a powerful tool for investigating the long-term variations in the lower ionosphere.