Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract The total electron content (TEC), F2 layer peak height (hmF2) and critical frequency (foF2) obtained from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and ionosonde stations distributed at different latitudes in East‐Asian sector are used to investigate the ionospheric lunar variations from 2009 to 2020. Our results show that the 14.76‐day and 12.42 hr periodic components seem to appear simultaneously in these ionospheric parameters at low latitudes, which correspond to the semimonthly lunar variation and semidiurnal lunar tides (M2), respectively. The lunar oscillation (14.76‐day and 12.42 hr period) amplitudes of different ionospheric parameters exhibit different latitudinal variations. The maximum lunar oscillation amplitudes of TEC and foF2 appear in the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest regions, but the maximum lunar oscillation amplitudes of hmF2 occur on the equatorward side of the EIA crest. Meanwhile, the amplitude of 14.76‐day periodic oscillations of TEC and foF2 in the poleward side of the EIA crest is stronger than that in the equatorward side of the EIA crest. This latitudinal variation difference of lunar oscillation amplitudes among hmF2, foF2 and TEC supports the suggestion that the lunar tide influences the low‐latitude ionosphere through modulating the strength of dynamo generated low‐latitude electric fields. Moreover, this latitudinal variation of the ionospheric lunar signatures is possibly modified by trans‐equatorial F‐region neutral winds.
Mo et al. (Mon,) studied this question.