Wideband Noise Observed at Ground-Level in the Auroral Region

A wideband noise event was detected at ground level from the Andoya Rocket Range in Norway in January 1989. The signals were observed using 4 commercial communication receivers (tuned to 159, 515, 905 and 1200 kHz), an ionosonde (200 kHz to 3.5 MHz interference-free observations) and a riometer (32.5 MHz). The event, which occurred during a period of magnetic disturbance near magnetic midnight, was the only one observed during nearly 3 weeks of operations. This low frequency-of-occurrence is attributed partly to high local noise levels. The ease with which this event was identified on the ionograms produced by the local ionosonde suggests that routine ionosonde recordings should be inspected in search for such events. Such an effort would enhance existing research directed toward developing techniques for identifying quiet communication channels and help to identify the origin and frequency-of-occurrence of high latitude wideband noise events. This article is from 'The Effect of the Ionosphere on Radiowave Signals and Systems Performance Based on Ionospheric Effects Symposium Held on 1-3 May 1990' AD-A233 797, p561-567.