Preliminary study on spatial correlation model of virtual height of ionospheric F-Layer for HF communication system design in equatorial region

Ionospheric F-Layer in the equatorial regions have not been studied much yet, while there is a growing need to develop HF sky wave communication systems in these regions for various beneficial purposes. This paper reports a preliminary result from the development of spatial model for virtual height of F-Layer in the equatorial regions. A correlation model of virtual heights on two different locations is developed using ionosonde measurements made in four locations in Indonesia. The presently obtained model expresses the correlation as a function of distance and bearing of a hypothetical line connecting the two ionosonde locations. It is an early result that would be developed in the future to study the correlation of HF attenuations on two different links.