The changing polar ionosphere: A comparative climatology of solar cycles 23 and 24

The polar ionosphere is a dynamic region that readily responds to changes in solar irradiance, the solar wind, the magnetosphere, and the neutral atmosphere. The most recent solar minimum brought to light gaps in the current understanding of the relationship between ionospheric structure and solar irradiance. The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), a High Frequency (HF) over-the-horizon radar network that provides continuous coverage of the northern and southern poles, offers an invaluable dataset for studying long-term ionospheric variability. SuperDARN has been providing extensive coverage of the polar ionosphere in both hemispheres since 1995 (the solar minimum preceding the 23^rd solar cycle).