Rocket observations of spatially localized bursts of intense lower hybrid wave radiation have been made for decades. As the ability of rocket observations to measure small-scale structure increases, scientists are better able to understand the physics responsible for the observations. However, rocket measurements are limited in their ability to fully diagnose the phenomenon they seek to measure. Therefore a laboratory experiment was undertaken at the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) at the University of California at Los Angeles to study the interaction of lower hybrid waves with a field-aligned density depletion. The laboratory parameters were chosen to mimic the physics in the ionosphere. Laboratory experiments allow one not only to study the effect of different interaction parameters, like wave frequency or striation size, but also to fully diagnose the wave fields in three spatial dimensions and time. These experiments have shown that large-amplitude wave fields are localized to the areas of largest density gradient. The field pattern is independent of striation size and shape. The experimental results relate strongly to space-based observations. The laboratory results, therefore, can act as a guidepost to assist the understanding of the more complex and difficult-to-understand plasmas encountered in the ionosphere. ¿ 2001 American Geophysical Union