This project supports a cooperative project by the Dr. Umran Inan, Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California and Drs. Esat Guzel and Ali Yesil, of the Physics Department, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey. They propose to develop a quantitative comparison of lightening-induced disturbances of the ionosphere and the radiation belts in the American and European sectors. The funds will allow for travel of Stanford scientists and visitors from FIRAT University in Turkey for collaborating in these ionospheric remote sensing activities. The investigators seek to provide a basis for quantitative comparison of lightning-induced disturbances of the ionosphere and the radiation belts in the American and European sectors. Most of the current data on such phenomena has so far been obtained in the western hemisphere, and the weight of scientific information indicates that lightning-induced effects at high altitudes and in the radiation belts may dominate other processes on a global scale.
Scope: The research program will facilitate the establishment and conduct of VLF observations in the European sector, thus providing a basis for comparison to facilitate global extrapolations and conclusions. Under this award, Stanford University staff will partner with FIRAT University, deploying one of their VLF receivers in the city of Elazig in Turkey. With support from NSF's counterpart in Turkey (Scientific and Technical research Council of Turkey, TUBITAK) FIRAT University provides the data digitization and recording equipment to facilitate continuous acquisition of the data. All data from the proposed program will be available for analysis over the Internet, and a series of annual visits are planned to maximize interactions and information exchange between the two institutions.
