Intitial results are presented from two methods whereby burst precipitation events in the lower ionosphere, almost certainly induced by VLF wave-particle interactions in the magnetosphere, have been detected using a ground-based digital ionosonde. In the first method, HF echoes are received above the critical frequency of the surrounding plasma; particle energies and the location and extent of the plasma enhancement may be deduced. In the second method, a rapid decrease in the phase of ionospheric echoes is observed due to refractive index changes along the echo path; particle energies, the duration of the precipitation event and the precipitation energy flux can be estimated. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1990