Global Ionospheric Specification Model

Under contract to AFRL, and in collaboration with colleagues at AFRL and Boston College, CPI developed the Parameterized Ionospheric Specification Model (PRISM) for use by the Air Force Space Forecast Center (now 55th Space Weather Squadron) at Schriever AFB near Colorado Springs, CO. PRISM was the first true ionospheric data assimilation model, with the capability of ingesting and using data from the Air Force's Digital Ionospheric Sounding System (DISS), Ionospheric Monitoring System (IMS), and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's (DMSP) Space Environement Sensor Suite (SESS) including the SSJ/4 and SSIES instruments. As a first generation ionospheric data assimilation model, it is based on a parameterization of several first principles ionospheric models (which provide the base theoretical climatology) and a real-time adjustment algorithm that varies with ionospheric latitude region. The theoretical climatology is embodied in the public domain model known as PIM (for Parameterized Ionospheric Model).

PRISM Version 1.7c is the current official ionospheric specification model for the Air Force and is included as a component in several operational and demonstration systems developed by AFRL. It continues to undergo testing and validation at AFRL. Currently, AFRL is developing a pre-processor to provide inputs derived from SSUSI and SSULI data in DISS data format so that PRISM can ingest and utilize this data when it comes on line in the near future.