Ionospheric variability at high latitudes measured by incoherent scatter radar: first observations from the DRIIVE winter campaign

The high latitude ionosphere displays highly variable behaviour that can be attributed to a multitude of processes. These originate from sources that range from internal coupling with the neutral atmosphere to electrodynamics driven by external space weather. DRIIVE (DRivers and Impacts of Ionospheric Variability with EISCAT-3D) is a project aimed at identifying this variability across a range of scales and comparing the relative contributions of different drivers. In December 2025 the DRIIVE team ran a 5-day campaign using the mainland EISCAT incoherent scatter radars in conjunction with a suite of additional ground-based instruments to monitor the night side ionosphere. Both the UHF and VHF radars were operated to provide simultaneous measurements in different look directions. The UHF radar ran a scanning mode to provide an estimate of the local ionospheric electric field. Here we present the first observations and analysis of the radar data collected during this campaign; we examine the changes in ionospheric parameters through different substorm phases and quieter periods, identifying both spatial and temporal variability at selected altitudes.