Global Assimilative Ionospheric Model

The long-term goal of our research is to develop a reliable and accurate global ionospheric weather monitoring and forecast system which can serve as a prototype for an operational system. To achieve this goal, we are developing and validating advanced data assimilation techniques to analyze diverse sources of ionospheric measurements. The assimilation of ionospheric measurements into mature firstprinciple ionospheric models will produce physically consistent, accurate ionospheric analysis, as well as the determination of important ionospheric drivers. As a result, this allows the generation of more accurate ionospheric weather forecasts. Our research activities maximally leverage the development of data assimilation techniques in the meteorological community. The application of general data assimilation techniques to ionospheric data analysis requires us to develop new mathematical techniques for both ionospheric modeling and optimization. This research will also help improve our understanding of the physics of the ionosphere and its response to magnetic storms, leading to a better characterization of severe space weather effects on power grids, communication, navigation, and other applications.