Team title: Ionospheric perturbation indices and scales 
Team ID: G2B-04
Team Leads:
Norbert Jakowski (German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany), norbert.jakowski AT dlr.de
Tim Fuller-Rowell (NOAA/SWPC, USA), tim.fuller-rowell@noaa.gov
Keywords (impact): Navigation and/or Communications, (Aero)space assets function
Keywords (activity type): Requirements, Modeling, Forecasting, Data Utilization, Assessment
Introduction:
Ionospheric ionization may cause serious propagation errors in modern radio systems such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and space-based remote sensing radars. In particular reliable information on the perturbation degree of the ionosphere is required in safety of life applications (e.g. Space or Ground Based Augmentation Systems to guide aircraft landing) or precise navigation and positioning in many GNSS applications with permanently growing challenges concerning accuracy, continuity, availability and integrity. Space weather services are able to help customers of these systems by providing compact and easy to use information on the perturbation degree of the ionosphere like index numbers in a standardized scale.
Objectives:
Ionospheric indices having a high potential to fulfill user requirements in particular in safety of life (SoL) and precise positioning applications shall be discussed in detail continuing the discussion on ionospheric indices and scales initiated at the 42nd COSPAR assembly in Pasadena.
Being aware that forecasts of the expected behavior of indices used by customers require intensive scientific research in the context of overall space weather processes, related scientific work shall be encouraged. Therefore, the intensification of the dialog with the customers and gathering of feedback from customers shall be intensified.
The team will encourage studies and test runs of different types of ionospheric indices and scales
and give recommendations for using selected indices and scales on international level.
Action topics:
- Improve predictive capability of irregularities and impact on propagation of radio signal,
- Review of ionosphere activity indices and activity scales,
- Address data standardization, preservation and access: data model, ontology, metadata, tools facilitating data access and discovery
Link to team external website:
