本文指在利用福爾摩沙一號衛星(FORMOSAT-1；前名為ROCAST-1)對離子耗損區(depletion)的觀測資料，進行地磁寧靜期赤道附近頂部電離層電漿泡(ionosphere plasma bubble)的發生與低層大氣間熱帶輻合區(Intertropical Convergence Zone，簡稱ITCZ)位置之關聯性研究。我們以福衛一號日地酬載電離層電漿電動效應儀(IPEI)，在西元2000至2002年-太陽活動極大年，地磁寧靜期(Kp□3)的觀測資料，進行全球電漿包發生率統計分析，並獲的電漿泡發生率隨季節、經度和緯度變化情形。並選擇電漿泡發生率隨經度變化最為明顯的冬首夏兩季的空間分佈圖型(pattern)，與Waliser et al. [1993]研究衛星17年之觀測資料所獲得之間熱帶輻合區的平均位置進行比較，發現隨季節變化的電漿泡的極大發生率區與間熱帶輻合區劇烈降水區幾乎完全相符，由此可見間熱帶輻合區與電離層電漿泡的產生機制息息相關。為進一步確認這種關聯性，我們還選擇電漿泡季節變化和間熱帶輻合區季節位移兩者都特別顯著的南美洲1月，(北半球冬季)進行電漿泡與降水的比對分析。檢視21001和2002年1月的電漿泡月平均分佈圖型，發現發生區域的外圍邊界幾乎重疊，並與多年平均大量降水區域非常吻合。但外圍邊界內的發生率分佈圖型，兩者呈現清晰的差異，尤其在巴西東北沿岸特別明顯，但分別與2001年1月乾旱和2002年1月降水量驟增的降水異常現象十分符合。這種地面降水影響電離層電漿泡發生的實例，可推論諸如重力波或電暴電場這類熱帶輻合區內的擾動源，應是觸發大尺度電漿泡發生的重要因素。

Quiet time ion density depletions observed by the FORMOSAT-1 (formerly known as ROCSAT-1) IPEI payload during the solar maximum years of 2000-2002 were used to compile the global occurrence patterns of plasma bubbles at topside ionosphere. The spatial distributions of plasma bubbles are then compared with those of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) for solstice seasons when the longitudinal variations of bubble occurrence are most pronounced. We found that the maximum occurrences of seasonal bubble structure are almost all collocated with the most intense rainfall regions of ITCZ. Such spatial correlation exists not only in the seasonal averaged data but also in the monthly averaged patterns, which is demonstrated by comparing the monthly bubble occurrence pattern of January 2001 with that of January 2002. Significant difference between the two months was found to be closely related to the precipitation anomalies along the northeast coast of Brazil during the two different years. The high spatial correlation between the two structures strongly supports the suggestion that tropospheric seedings associated with ITCZ plays an important role in triggering large-scale plasma bubbles.