RIOMETRY AT THE ITALIAN ANTARCTIC STATION OF TERRA-NOVA BAY

A solid-state riometer has been installed at Terra Nova Bay (74 degree s 42'S and 164 degrees 06' E) during the IX Italian Antarctic expediti on (1993/1994) to provide, in the frame of the geophysical observatori es, studies on the ionospheric absorption in the lower part of the ion osphere. This kind of measurements will integrate the already existing active vertical ionospheric sounding and the magnetic absolute vector observations, with the objective of investigating the state of the io nosphere-magnetosphere coupling. In order to evaluate the base disturb ance to the riometer, a remote campaign has been performed at McCarthy Ridge, rather far from the base station, where no anthropic noise is expected. Preliminary data analysis confirms the good quality of the A ntarctic riometer observations.