Remote sensing of thunderstorm and its impact on upper atmosphere using NAVIC and GPS signals

Abstract

Increase in severe lightning activity has emerged as a threatening global concern in the last couple of years. Beyond the tragic loss of lives and substantial damage to resources, it throws formidable challenges, particularly in sectors like aviation. Developing effective short-term forecasting methods for such extreme weather events is imperative, not only for preventing loss of lives and economic reasons but also for advancing scientific understanding. Additionally, there’s growing interest in comprehending the influence of thunderstorms on the upper atmospheric layers. Researchers have observed low-frequency atmospheric waves generated by these events, extending even into the ionospheric region, where they induce notable disturbances in plasma density. This dissertation focuses on monitoring both ionized and neutral components of the atmosphere using two distinct frequency bands (L5: 1176.45MHz and S1: 2492.028MHz) of the NavIC system, which is utilized for satellite navigation in India as well as utilizing the established global positioning system (GPS) as well.