Mapping of S4 Over the Arabian Peninsula During Solar Minimum

In this letter, we study the temporal and spatial variability of ionospheric irregularities by generating high-resolution maps of the observed amplitude scintillation index (S4) using data from a multiconstellation and multifrequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. The study is located in the Arabian Peninsula region, which falls under the northern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). Even though the study was conducted during a solar minimum period, considerable pre-sunset scintillation occurrences have been observed between 15 and 17 local time (LT), particularly during the winter solstices. While most scintillation occurrences have been observed at low elevation (20°-25°), a considerable number of scintillation causing ionospheric irregularities have been observed toward the north, east, and southeast of the receiver location, for elevation ranging from 40° to 60°. Out of all the GNSS constellations with medium-earth-orbit (MEO) satellites, GPS was the most impacted by amplitude scintillation, while BeiDou and Galileo satellites were the least affected. It is anticipated that the patches of ionospheric irregularities reported in this work will be further enhanced, as solar activity increases in the coming years. Therefore, this work can serve as a reference for future studies during periods of increased geomagnetic activity.