The global climatology of the intensity of the ionospheric sporadic E layer

On the basis of S4max data retrieved from COSMIC GPS radio occultation measurements, the long-term climatology of the intensity of E-s layers is investigated for the period from December 2006 to January 2014. Global maps of E-s intensity show the high-spatial-resolution geographical distribution and strong seasonal dependence of E-s layers. The maximum intensity of E-s occurs over the mid-latitudes, and its value in summer is 2-3 times larger than that in winter. A relatively strong E-s layer is observed at the North Pole and South Pole, with a distinct boundary dividing the mid-latitudes and high latitudes along the 60-80 degrees geomagnetic latitude band. The simulation results show that the convergence of vertical ion velocity could partially explain the seasonal dependence of E-s intensity. Furthermore, some disagreements between the distributions of the calculated divergence of vertical ion velocity and the observed E-s intensity indicate that other processes, such as the vertical motions of gravity waves, magnetic-field effects, meteoric mass influx into Earth's atmosphere, and the chemical processes of metallic ions, should also be considered as they may also play an important role in the spatial and seasonal variations in E-s layers.