Scaled Ionospheric Data Format and File Name Convention

The scaled ionospheric parameter yearly data file downloaded from IPS website has file name convention as below:

SSSSPP.YY.gz

where:
SSSS - IPS Station Number, listed in following table.
PP - URSI parameter code, listed in following table.
YY - Year.
gz - gzipped file.

Data Format for each IPS record in the yearly file:

fields 1-4:	IPS Station Number
fields 5-6:	URSI Parameter Code
fields 7-12:	year, month, day (YYMMDD)
fields 13-132:	24*hourly values (QVVVD) where Q=qualifier, VVV=value, D=descriptor

Data in universal time (UT). First hour of each record is 0000 UT.
Note: Macquarie Island data 1950 to 1958 in local time (LT)(157.5 EMT or 10.5 hours ahead of 00 UT); first hour of each record for this period is 0000 LT or midnight.



IPS IONOSONDE STATIONS

IPS STATION NUMBER	STATION NAME	LATITUDE	LONGITUDE	LOCAL MEAN TIME
3038	Manila	14.70	121.10
3546	Vanimo	-2.7	141.3	150
3750	Port Moresby	-9.4	147.1	150
2451	Cocos Islands	-12.2	96.8	90
3351	Darwin	-12.45	130.95	135
4755	Niue	-19.00	-170.00
3755	Townsville	-19.63	146.85	150
3355	Tennant Ck	-19.65	134.25	135
2856	Learmonth	-22.25	114.08	120
3357	Alice Springs	-23.86	133.83	135
3859	Brisbane	-27.53	152.92	150
4260	Norfolk Is	-29.03	167.97	180
2960	Watheroo	-30.3	115.9	120
3460	Woomera	-30.8	136.3	135
2961	Mundaring	-31.98	116.22	120
3862	Camden	-34.05	150.67	150
3562	Salisbury	-34.7	138.6	135
3763	Canberra	-35.32	149.0	150
3766	Hobart	-42.92	147.32	150
4072	Macquarie Is	-54.5	159.0	150
2878	Casey	-66.3	110.5	105
1679	Mawson	-67.60	62.88	60
1979	Davis	-68.58	77.96	75

The URSI parameter codes are:

Code	Parameter	Units	Ref. UAG23	Definition
00	foF2	0.1 MHz	1.11	Ordinary wave critical frequency of the highest stratification in the F region
01	fxF2	0.1 MHz	1.11	Extraordinary wave critical frequency
02	fzF2	0.1 MHz	1.11	Z-mode wave critical frequency
03	M(3000)F2	0.05	1.50	Maximum usable frequency at a defined distance divided by the critical frequency of that layer
04	h'F2	km	1.33	Minimum virtual height of the ordinary wave trace for the highest stable stratification in the F region
05	hpF2	km	1.41	Virtual height of the ordinary wave mode at the frequency given by 0.834 of foF2 (or other 7.34)
06	h'Ox	km	1.39	Virtual height of the x trace at foF2
07	MUF(3000)F2	0.1 MHz	1.5C	Standard transmission curve for 3000 km
08	hc	km	1.42	Height of the maximum obtained by fitting a theoretical h'F curve for the parabola of best fit to the observed ordinary wave trace near foF2 and correcting for underlying ionisation
09	qc	km	7.34	Scale height
10	foF1	0.1 MHz	1.13	Ordinary wave F1 critical frequency
11	fxF1	0.01 MHz	1.13	Extraordinary wave F1 critical frequency
12	not used
13	M(3000)F1	0.01 MHz	1.50	Maximum usable frequency at a defined distance divided by the critical frequency of that layer
14	h'F1	km	1.30	Minimum virtual height of reflection at a point where the trace is horizontal
15	not used
16	h'F	km	1.32	Minimum virtual height of the ordinary wave trace taken as a whole
17	MUF(3000)F1	0.1 MHz	1.5C	Standard transmission curve for 3000 km
18	not used
19	not used
20	foE	0.01 MHz	1.14	Ordinary wave critical frequency of the lowest thick layer which causes a discontinuity
21	not used
22	foE2	0.01 MHz	1.16	Critical frequency of an occulting thick layer which sometimes appears between the normal E and F1 layers
23	not used
24	h'E	km	1.34	Minimum virtual height of the normal E layer
25	not used
26	h'E2	km	1.36	Minimum virtual height of the E2 layer
27	not used
28	not used
29	not used
30	foEs	0.1 MHz	1.17	Highest ordinary wave frequency at which a mainly continuous Es trace is observed
31	fxEs	0.1 MHz	1.17	Highest extraordinary wave frequency at which a mainly continuous Es trace is observed
32	fbEs	0.1 MHz	1.18	Blanketing frequency of the Es layer
33	ftEs	0.1 MHz		Top frequency Es any mode
34	h'Es	km	1.35	Minimum height of the trace used to give foEs
35	not used
36	type Es		7.26	Characterisation of the shape of the Es trace W type sporadic E was used at the Australian stations between about February and April 1982 in place of H, C, L and F types.
37	not used
38	not used
39	not used
40	foF1.5	0.01 MHz	1.12	Ordinary wave critical frequency of the intermediate stratification between F1 and F2
41	not used
42	fmin	0.1 MHz	1.19	Lowest frequency at which echo traces are observed on the ionogram
43	M(3000)F1.5	0.01 MHz	1.50	Maximum usable frequency at a defined distance divided by the critical frequency of that layer
44	h'F1.5	km	1.38	Minimum virtual height of the ordinary wave trace between foF1 and foF1.5 (equals h'F2 7.34)
45	not used
46	not used
47	fm2	0.1 MHz	1.14	Minimum frequency of the second order trace
48	hm	km	7.34	Height of the maximum density of the F2 layer calculated by the Titheridge method
49	fm3	0.1 MHz	1.25	Minimum frequency of the third order trace
50	foI	0.1 MHz	1.26	Top ordinary wave frequency of spread F traces
51	fxI	0.1 MHz	1.21	Top frequency of spread F traces
52	fmI	0.1 MHz	1.23	Lowest frequency of spread F traces
53	M3000I	0.01 MHz	1.50	Maximum usable frequency at a defined distance divided by the critical frequency of that layer
54	h'I	km	1.37	Minimum slant range of the spread F traces
55	not used			(see note below)
56	not used			(see note below)
57	dfs	0.1 MHz	1.22	Frequency spread of the scatter pattern; 7.34 Frequency range of spread fxI-foF2
58	not used
59	not used
60	fh'F2	0.1 MHz	7.34	Frequency at which h'F2 is measured
61	fh'F	0.1 MHz	7.34	Frequency at which h'F is measured
62	not used
63	h'mF1	km	7.34	Maximum virtual height in the o-mode F1 cusp
64	h1	km	7.34	True height at f1 Titheridge method
65	h2	km	7.34	True height at f2 Titheridge method
66	h3	km	7.34	True height at f3 Titheridge method
67	h4	km	7.34	True height at f4 Titheridge method
68	h5	km	7.34	True height at f5 Titheridge method
69	H	km	7.34	Effective scale height at hmF2 Titheridge method
70	I2000	e/cubic cm	7.34	Ionospheric electron content Faraday technique
71	I	e/cubic cm	7.34	Total electron content to geostationary satellite
72	Ixxxx	e/cubic cm	7.34	Ionospheric electron content to height xxxx
73	not used
74	not used
75	not used
76	not used
77	not used
78	not used
79	T	e/cubic cm	7.34	Total sub-peak content Titheridge method
80	FMINF	0.01 MHz		Minimum frequency of F trace (50 kHz increments)
81	FMINE	0.01 MHz		Minimum frequency of E trace (50 kHz increments). Equals fbEs when E present
82	HOM	km		Parabolic E region peak height
83	YM	km		Parabolic E region semi-thickness
84	QF	km		Average range spread of F trace
85	QE	km		Average range spread of E trace
86	FF	0.01 MHz		Frequency spread between fxF2 and fxI
87	FE	0.01 MHz		As FF but considered beyond foE
88	fMUF3000	0.01 MHz		MUF(D)/obliquity factor
89	h'MUF3000	km		Virtual height at fMUF

NOTE: IPS uses the codes 55 and 56 for scaling range spread (55) and frequency spread (56).

Qualifying Letters
A: Less than. Used only when fbEs is deduced from foEs because total blanketing of higher layers is present.
D: Greater than
E: Less than
I: Missing value has been replaced by an interpolated value.
J: Ordinary component characteristic deduced from the extraordinary component.
M: Interpretation of measurement questionable because ordinary and extraordinary components are not distinguishable. Used with descriptive letter which shows why components are not distinguishable.
O: Extraordinary component characteristic deduced from the ordinary component.
T: Value determined by a sequence of observations, the actual observation being inconsistent or doubtful.
U: Uncertain or doubtful numerical value.
Z: Measurement deduced from the third magneto-electronic component.


Descriptive Letters
A: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, the presence of a lower thin layer, for example, ES.
B: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, absorption in the vicinity of fmin.
C: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, any non-ionospheric reason.
D: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, the upper limit of the normal frequency range.
E: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, the lower limit of the normal frequency range.
F: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, the presence of spread echoes.
G: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because the ionisation density of the reflecting layer is too small to enable it to be made accurately.
H: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, the presence of stratification.
K: Presence of a particle E layer.
L: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because the trace has no sufficiently definite cusp between the layers.
M: Interpretation of measurement questionable because ordinary and extraordinary components are not distinguishable. Used when interpretation is doubtful and a qualifying letter needed for other reasons (e.g., U, D, E).
N: Conditions are such that the measurement cannot be interpreted. O: Measurement refers to the ordinary component.
P: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, the presence of polar spurs.
Q: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, the presence of range spread.
R: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, attenuation in the vicinity of the critical frequency.
S: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because of, interference or atmospherics.
T: Value determined by a sequence of observations, the actual value or observation being inconsistent or doubtful.
V: Forked trace, which may influence the measurement.
W: Measurement influenced by, or impossible because the echo lies outside the height range recorded.
X: Measurement refers to the extraordinary component.
Y: Lacuna phenomena, severe layer tilt.
Z: Third magneto-electronic component present.

The following descriptive letters are used to show spread-F types and take precedence over all other letters:

F: Frequency spread present. Is used in foF2 and fxI tables only.
L: Mixed spread present. foF2 and fxI tables only.
P: Polar spur present. Is used in fxI table only.
Q: Range spread present. Is used mainly in h'F and h'F2 tables, but appears occasionally in foF2 and fxI tables.

Es Type

Es Type Tables

In the Es type table, the first letter denotes the type of layer from which foes has been evaluated. This letter is followed by the number of multiple reflections from the layer. Other Es layers are recorded in order of number of multiples.

Es Types

F: A clean Es trace which shows no appreciable increase of height with frequency. Applied only to night-time Es.
L: A flat Es trace below the normal E or particle E minimum virtual height. Mainly applied to Es in the daytime.
C: An Es trace showing a relatively symmetrical cusp at or below the critical frequency, foE. Applied only in the daytime.
H: An Es trace showing a discontinuity in height with the normal E layer trace. The cusp is not symmetrical, the height of the low frequency part of the Es trace is higher than that of the high frequency normal E layer trace. Applied only in the daytime.
Q: An Es trace which is diffuse and non-blanketing over a wide frequency range.
R: An Es trace showing an increase in virtual height at the high frequency end but which becomes partially transparent below foEs.
K: Denotes the presence of a particle E layer, similar in appearance to normal E, which obscures higher layers up to its critical frequency.
A: Denotes all types of very spread Es traces. The typical pattern shows a well-defined flat or gradually rising lower edge with stratified or diffuse traces present above it.
S: A diffuse Es trace whose virtual height rises steadily with frequency.
D: A weak diffuse trace at or below 95 km associated with high absorption and consequently high fmin.
N: An Es trace which does not fall into any of the standard categories above.