Driving the mid-latitude ionosphere from below: A statistical study using LOFAR
Journal article, 2026
The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) is one of the most advanced radio telescopes in the world. When radio waves from a distant astronomical source traverse the ionosphere, structures in this plasma affect the signal. Results are presented from a statistical study using 2,810 hours of observations of Cassiopeia A from a LOFAR station located in the Netherlands (station CS032, located at 52.9 degrees N; 6.9 degrees E) between 28th June 2014 and 27th November 2016. Ionospheric structures were identified in 469 (similar to 17 %) of these observations. A comparison with proxies for geomagnetic activity (the K-p index) and solar activity (the F10.7 cm solar radio flux) showed that geomagnetic or solar effects were not the primary driver of these ionospheric structures. Ionospheric structures were more common in summer and between similar to 21 LT and 02 LT. These patterns in season and local time showed similarities to the occurrence of lightning strikes. When ionospheric structures were present, the mean number of lightning strikes in a spatial region close to the LOFAR observations (51.9 degrees - 56.5 degrees N; 3.9 degrees - 9.9 degrees E) two hours prior to the LOFAR observations was (70 +/- 25) per hour. This was substantially larger than the mean value of (19 +/- 5) per hour when the ionospheric structures were absent. This suggests that quasi-upward propagating Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGWs) launched by thunderstorm activity could be one of the sources of the ionospheric structures. Collectively, these observations show that LOFAR can be used to infer ionospheric signatures of vertical coupling processes in the mid-latitude atmosphere. Such observations have the potential to be used to develop or validate existing Global Circulation Models (GCMs) or new models of vertical coupling within the terrestrial atmosphere.
Space weather
Thunderstorms
Neutral Atmosphere
Radio Astronomy
Ionospheric Physics
Author
Alan G. Wood
University of Birmingham
Met Office
Maaijke Mevius
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
University of Groningen
Richard A. Fallows
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Juliana Jaen
University of Bath
Gareth D. Dorrian
University of Birmingham
Ben Boyde
University of Bath
Katarzyna Beser
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Pietro Zucca
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Mattia Mancini
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Corwin J. Wright
University of Bath
Neil P. Hindley
University of Bath
Carsten Schmidt
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Jaroslav Urbar
Czech Academy of Sciences
Michael Bittner
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
University of Augsburg
Mario Bisi
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Leszek Blaszkiewicz
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Tobia Carozzi
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Claudio Cesaroni
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
Agata Chuchra
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Jaroslav Chum
Czech Academy of Sciences
Helena Ciechowska
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Bartosz Dabrowski
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Sean Elvidge
University of Birmingham
Pawel Flisek
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Biagio Forte
University of Bath
Martin Fullekrug
University of Bath
Rebecca Ghidoni
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
Patrick Hannawald
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Edmund Henley
Met Office
David Jackson
Met Office
Rosie Johnson
Aberystwyth University
Kacper Kotulak
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Petra Koucka Knizova
Czech Academy of Sciences
Mark Kuiack
University of Amsterdam
Andrzej Krankowski
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Lisa Kuchelbacher
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Simon Mackovjak
Slovak Academy of Sciences
Barbara Matyjasiak
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Mariusz Pozoga
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Thi Phung
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Dorota Przepiorka
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Yuriy G. Rapoport
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Hanna Rothkaehl
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Luca Spogli
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
Janis Steinbergs
Riga Technical University
Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
Claudia Stolle
University of Rostock
Lukasz Tomasik
Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN
Vladimir Truhlik
Czech Academy of Sciences
Ralph Wijers
University of Amsterdam
Sabine Wust
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
2115-7251 (eISSN)
Vol. 16 30Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics
Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
DOI
10.1051/swsc/2026023