Kodaikanal Observatory

Solar Terrestrial Physics
  • Ionospheric and Magnetic Studies
  • A NBS C3 analogue ionosonde was installed at the Observatory in 1955, for vertical soundings of the ionosphere. Quarterly soundings were made round the clock. In 1993, a digital ionosonde model IPS 42/DBD43 was commissioned enabling five minute or better sounding rates. A HF Doppler radar was built indigenously and made operational. A lacour magnetometer and a Watson magnetometer have been made available at the observatory since the beginning of the century. The lab is thus equipped for studying the ionospheric and geomagnetic effects of solar activity. The ionograms, geomagnetic data and F-region vertical drift observations are being obtained regularly.

    The data collected by the lab so far is the longest series of its kind in the country. Further the geographic location of Kodaikanal has made possible the interesting observations of equitorial electrojet. The presence of solar observational facilities on campus has been an added advantage to the laboratory.

    Besides the above regular observations, the ionospheric lab has been participating successfully in a large number of national and international campaign observational programmes. The lab sends monthly summaries of data obtained,to the national data centers.


Last updated on: February 20, 2024