This book describes how to predict and forecast the state of planet Earth’s ionosphere under quiet and disturbed conditions in terms of dynamical processes in the weakly ionized plasma media of the upper atmosphere and their relation to available modern measurements and modelling techniques. It explains the close relationship between the state of the media and the radio wave propagation conditions via this media. The prediction and forecasting algorithms, methods and models are oriented towards providing a practical approach to ionospherically dependent systems design and engineering. Proper understanding of the ionosphere is of fundamental practical importance because it is an essential part of telecommunication and navigation systems that use the ionosphere to function or would function much better in its nonappearance on the Earth and on any planet with an atmosphere.
"The authors ... have done a marvelous job in collecting the relevant material, and presenting it in a coherent and easily readable form. ... There is no doubt that this new book fills a real need, and will be of great benefit to students, researchers, and engineers who enter the fields of radio exploration of the ionosphere, space weather, radio-frequency planning, spectrum management, and radio-system design. For those already working in these areas, it will provide valuable context." (Bodo Reinisch, The Radio Science Bulletin, Issue 353, June, 2015)