Effective scale height characteristics in the topside ionosphere

Evidence for connection between spread F irregularities and high variability in the topside effective scale height at Swarm A altitude is reported by Belehaki et al. (2021, doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10508484.1).

A clear diurnal pattern is identified in the topside effective scale height HT at Swarm A altitudes, with peak values in the early morning and evening sectors. While at night, the topside effective scale height tends to increase with altitude, in the daytime its altitudinal dependence is complex.