Using network technology for studying the ionosphere

One of the key problems of ionosphere physics is the coupling between different ionospheric regions. We apply networks technology for studying the coupling of changing ionospheric dynamics in different regions. We used data from global ionosphere maps (GIM) of total electron content (TEC) produced by CODE for 2005-2010. Distribution of cross-correlation function maxima of TEC variations is not simple. This distribution allows us to reveal two levels of ionosphere coupling: «strong» ( r >0.9) and «weak» ( r >0.72). The ionosphere of the Arctic region upper 50° magnetic latitude is characterized by a «strong» coupling. In the Southern hemisphere, a similar region is bigger. «Weak» coupling is typical for the whole Southern hemisphere. In North America there is an area where TEC dynamics is «strongly» correlated inside and is not correlated with other ionospheric regions.