NASA-funded researchers have just released CAPS, which is short for Communication Alert and Prediction System.
This system enables that anyone with internet access can get a model of the Earth’s Ionosphere live!!

The display on Google Earth is as seen below,

The Ionosphere is the gas body that surrounds our planet from 50 miles onwards, protecting us from the harsh environs of space and the Solar Wind.

The solar wind mainly comprises of ions, electrons, UV rays and X-rays which ionise gas molecules into a haze of electrons and ions. Strong solar winds lead to a greater ionisation of our upper atmospheric gases which wreak havoc to many of our systems including communications.
Thus the ionospheric climate plays a huge role in radio transmission, flight systems, scientific experiments, satellite communications etc..

Now this information is so easily available that you can check it out by following the simple steps given below,

Download and install Google Earth

Go here and click ‘Total Electron Content’

This data can be especially helpful for pilots flying across the pole, because the plane cannot contact most geosynchronous satellites in this area so it relies solely on radio transmission for communications.

In this 4D model, the fourth dimension is time since the information is real-time i.e. it is information updated every 10 minutes. This system also enables forecasting, thus making it unique and extremely useful.

The 4D model can be fun and even a little addictive, warns W. Kent Tobiska, president of Space Environment Technologies, who likes to use it to pilot an imaginary plane over the Arctic.

The main contributing partners to this system have been Space Environment Technologies Inc., California, Space Environment Corp., Utah and US Air Force.

Source : Nasa