The spatial large‐scale wave structure (LSWS) at the base of F layer is the earliest manifestation of seed perturbation for Rayleigh‐Taylor instability, hence, found to play a deterministic role in the development of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs). Except for a few case studies, a comprehensive investigation has not been conducted on the characteristics of LSWS because of the complexity involved in detecting the LSWS, particularly, in spatial domain. In this scenario, a comprehensive study is carried out, for the first time, on the spatial and temporal characteristics of LSWS observed in spatial domain over African and Southeast Asian longitudinal sectors during the year 2011. The observations indicate that these wave structures can be detected a few degrees west of E region sunset terminator and found to grow significantly at longitudes past the sunset terminator. The phase fronts of these spatial structures are found to align with the geomagnetic field () lines over a latitudinal belt for at least 5−6° (~500–600 km) centered on dip equator. The zonal wavelengths of these structures are found to vary from 100 to 700 km, which is consistent with the earlier reports, and the EPBs were consistently observed when the amplitudes of LSWS were grown to sufficient strengths. These results would provide better insights on the underlying physical processes involved in excitation of LSWS in terms of important roles being played by E region electrical loading and polarization electric fields induced via spatially varying dynamo current due to neutral wind perturbations associated with atmospheric gravity waves.

This paper presents an overview of the HARIMAU2010 campaign focusing on convective activity with the diurnal rainfall meridional march (DRMM) over Jakarta, which is located on the northern coast of Jawa Island of the Indonesian maritime continent (IMC), based on 1-month intensive observations by a C-band Doppler radar and multi-point atmospheric sounding array conducted during 16 January–14 February 2010. The campaign period corresponded to a phase after large-scale Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) active convections passed over Jakarta (MJO inactive phase). The cross-equatorial northerly surge (CENS) intruded into the Jawa Sea with a cold tongue (CT) of sea surface temperature (SST) in the beginning of the period (CENS active period: 16–26 January), and then, it started to retreat (transition period: 27 January–05 February); afterward, only a few signs of it were apparent (CENS inactive period: 06–14 February). The observational results showed that (1) rainfall over Jakarta has the nature of DRMM during the MJO inactive phase at least, (2) the DRMM is likely driven primarily by “land-breeze”-like local meridional circulation, and (3) the meridional spatiotemporal variation of rainfall over Jakarta is thus controlled by activities of both the CENS and CT over the Jawa Sea.

A campaign was conducted from 23 July to 5 August 2010 to measure atmospheric precipitable water vapor (PWV) using five Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, stationed at four different locations in Jakarta and Bogor, western Java, Indonesia. Radiosondes were launched at an interval of 6 h to validate the GPS-derived PWV data. The validation resulted in a root mean square error of 2 to 3 mm in PWV. The influence of atmospheric pressure and temperature on GPS-derived PWV was evaluated. A regular semi-diurnal pressure oscillation was observed, showing an amplitude ranging from 3 to 5 hPa, which corresponds to 1.1 to 1.8 mm in PWV. A nocturnal temperature inversion layer was observed in the radiosonde profiles, which resulted in an error of about 0.5 mm in PWV. From 26 to 29 July, there was a passage of distributed rain clouds over western Java, moving southwestward from the equator toward the Indian Ocean. A second precipitation event, with scattered rain clouds forming locally near Bogor, occurred on 2 August. Both events were observed also by a C-band Doppler Radar operated near Jakarta. The highest peak of GPS-derived PWV (about 67 mm) registered during the campaign occurred on 27 July, coinciding with the distributed rainfall event. Spatial variations in the estimated PWV between the four sites were enhanced before both the analyzed rainfall events, on 27 July and 2 August. Peaks in the temporal variability of PWV were also observed in conjunction with the two events. The results indicated a relation between the space-time inhomogeneity of GPS-PWV and rainfall events in the tropics.

We report on the measurements of radio frequency interference (RFI) at Mount Timau, Kupang, Indonesia, which is intended to host a future radio astronomy observatory. These measurements were taken twice in October 2020 and December 2020 to obtain the RFI environment, at frequencies between 70 and 7000 MHz. Due to the limitations of the measurement data, the results presented in this paper are based on peak detection rather than statistical analysis. Based on the measurement results, the frequency interval between 70–88 MHz and 120–150 MHz is relatively quiet, and the frequency range of 150–300 MHz is relatively clear. The frequency interval of 300 to 800 MHz is relatively quiet, except at the frequency of 600 MHz. The frequency range of 800–1400 MHz is also relatively quiet. The predominant terrestrial services in this band are at 840 MHz, with an amplitude around 32 dB, and 916 MHz, with an amplitude around 12 dB, and the global system for mobile (GSM) signals around 954 MHz have an amplitude around 20 dB above the noise floor. The frequency range of 1400–7000 MHz is also relatively quiet. In this band frequency, we can see RFI at 2145 and 2407 MHz, emitted by local Wi-Fi, and at 2683 MHz, with amplitudes of 18, 40 and 15 dB, respectively, from the noise level. We conclude that, for this period, the frequency band allocated for astronomy can possibly be used for radio telescope development.