The International Reference Ionosphere \textendash Status 2013

<p>This paper describes the latest version of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model. IRI-2012 includes new models for the electron density and ion densities in the region below the F-peak, a storm-time model for the auroral E-region, an improved electron temperature model that includes variations with solar activity, and for the first time a description of auroral boundaries. In addition, the thermosphere model required for baseline neutral densities and temperatures was upgraded from MSIS-86 to the newer NRLMSIS-00 model and Corrected Geomagnetic coordinates (CGM) were included in IRI as an additional coordinate system for a better representation of auroral and polar latitudes. Ongoing IRI activities towards the inclusion of an improved model for the F2 peak height hmF2 are discussed as are efforts to develop a \textquotedblleftReal-Time IRI\textquotedblright. The paper is based on an IRI status report presented at the 2013 IRI Workshop in Olsztyn, Poland. The IRI homepage is at\&nbsp;<a href="http://irimodel.org/" onclick="var newWidth=((window.screen.availWidth*90)/100);var newHeight=((window.screen.availHeight*90)/100);var parms = \textquoterightstatus=yes,location=yes,\textquoteright + \textquoterightscrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,directories=yes,\textquoteright + \textquoterighttoolbar=yes,menubar=yes,\textquoteright + \textquoterightwidth=\textquoteright + newWidth + \textquoteright,height=\textquoteright + newHeight + \textquoteright,screenX=10,screenY=10\textquoteright;var externalWin; externalWin=window.open(\textquoteright\textquoteright,\textquoterightexternObjLink\textquoteright,parms); externalWin.focus()" target="externObjLink">IRImodel.org</a>.</p>