We have investigated the variations of sporadic E (Es) layer using the measurements of digisondes at Icheon (37.14°N, 127.54°E, IC) and Jeju (33.4°N, 126.30°E, JJ) in 2011–2018. The Es occurrence rate and its critical frequency (foEs) have peak values in summer at both IC and JJ in consistent with their known seasonal variations at mid-latitudes. The virtual height of the Es layer (h’Es) during equinox months is greater than that in other months. It may be related to the similar variation of meteor peak heights. The h’Es shows the semidiurnal variations with two peaks at early in the morning and late in the afternoon during equinoxes and summer. However, the semi-diurnal variation is not obvious in winter. The semi-diurnal variation is generally thought to be caused by the semi-diurnal tidal variation in the neutral wind shear, whose measurements, however, are rare and not available in the region of interest. To investigate the formation mechanism of Es, we have derived the vertical ion drift velocity using the Horizontal Wind Model (HWM) 14, International Geomagnetic Reference Field, and Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter Radar-00 models. Our results show that h’Es preferentially occur at the altitudes where the direction of the vertical ion velocity changes. This result indicates the significant role of ion convergence in the creation of Es.

The results of the study of ionospheric variations in the summer months of 1998-2002 at an ionospheric station of vertical sounding "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" are presented. Anomalous variations of virtual sporadic-E height (h'Es), Es blanketing frequency (fbEs), and the critical frequency of the ionospheric F2 layer (foF2) (which can be attributed to the possible earthquake precursors) are selected. The high efficiency of the selection of ionospheric earthquake precursors based on the several parameters of Es and F2 layers is shown. The empirical dependence, which reflects the connection between the lead-time of the earthquake moment, the distance to the epicenter from the observation point, and the magnitude of the earthquake are obtained. This empirical dependence is consistent with the results of the detection of earthquake precursors by measuring the physical parameters of the Earth's crust in the same region.