Deadline: 2019-06-28 Award: $150,000 Open to: 18+ (some restrictions)*
Despite starting nearly 100 kilometers above the surface of the Earth, the ionosphere plays an active role in our day-to-day lives in the form of High-Frequency (HF) Radio propagation (McNamara, 1991; Kelly, 2011). International air traffic controllers, oceanographers using surface wave radars, the space launch community, and many others are all affected by electron density distribution in the ionosphere. The ionosphere lets you hear distant AM radio stations in your car but it can also affect the quality of long-range air traffic control.