Performance of different TEC models to provide GPS ionospheric corrections

The existence of a worldwide international GPS service (IGS) permanent network of dual-frequency receivers makes the computation of global ionospheric maps (GIMs) of total electron content (TEC) feasible. The GIMs computed by the IGS Associate Analysis Centers on a daily basis and by other kinds of forecast GIMs, which can be computed from, for instance, the international reference ionosphere (IRI) model, and the GPS broadcast models in the navigation message, can be applied to a broad diversity of fields, for instance as, navigation and time transfer.In this context, the performance of different kinds of models are presented in order to determine the accuracy of the different GIM. This is carried out by comparison with the TOPEX data that provides an independent and precise (at the level of few TECU) vertical TEC determination over the oceans and seas. Thus, the obtained accuracies, in terms of global relative error, ranging from 54% corresponding to the GPS broadcast model, to about 41% corresponding to IRI climatological model, and to less than 30% corresponding to GPS data driven models.     

地基GNSS VTEC约束的大气掩星电离层误差修正方法

介绍了一种考虑电离层沿GNSS掩星射线路径分布不对称且兼顾一阶和二阶项的大气掩星电离层误差修正新方法,它综合地基GNSS VTEC的水平变化信息和电离层模式的垂直变化信息,在沿"入射线"与"出射线"双边局部球对称假设下,估算GNSS掩星射线路径上的电子密度;进而计算一阶和二阶项弯曲角电离层误差廓线.采用太阳活动低年的2008年7月15日和太阳活动较高年的2013年7月15日两天的MetOp-A和GRACE掩星观测资料和IGS的GNSS VTEC数据,计算了GNSS大气掩星弯曲角一阶和二阶项电离层误差廓线.对比分析表明：新方法经验模型和理论模型的二阶项弯曲角电离层残差,以及经验模型与实测数据的一阶和二阶项弯曲角电离层误差均具有良好的一致性,因此该方法可用于L2信号数据质量较差或L2信号中断的掩星事件,同时修正大气掩星一阶和二阶电离层误差,从而提高弯曲角精度和掩星观测资料的利用率.     

Anomalous modification of the ionospheric total electron content prior to the 26 September 2005 Peru earthquake

This paper investigates the features of pre-earthquake ionospheric anomalies in the total electron content (TEC) data obtained on the basis of regular GPS observations from the International GNSS Service (IGS) network. For the analysis of the ionospheric effects of the 26 September 2005 Peru earthquake, Global Ionospheric Maps (GIMs) of TEC were used. The possible influence of the earthquake preparation processes on the main low-latitude ionosphere peculiarity—the equatorial anomaly—is discussed. Analysis of the TEC maps has shown that modification of the equatorial anomaly occurred a few days before the earthquake. In previous days, during the evening and night hours (local time—LT), a specific transformation of the TEC distribution had taken place. This modification took the shape of a double-crest structure with a trough near the epicenter, though usually in this time the restored normal latitudinal distribution with a maximum near the magnetic equator is observed. Additional measurements (CHAMP satellite) have also confirmed the presence of this structure. To compare the vertical TEC measurements obtained with GPS satellite signals (GPS TEC), the International Reference Ionosphere, IRI-2001, was used for calculating the IRI TEC.     

中国电离层TEC同化现报系统

数据同化是在基于物理机制的背景模型上,融合时空不规则分布的观测数据的一种现报方法.同化能够有效弥补数据的时空局限和模型的精度偏差,使二者相互匹配从而获得更加合理可信的模拟效果.本研究利用电离层数据同化方法,针对中国及周边区域（15°N-55°N,70°E-140°E）构建了电离层总电子含量（TEC）同化现报系统.系统使用国际参考电离层（IRI）作为背景场,利用中国科学院空间环境监测网和国际GNSS服务组织（IGS）的部分地基GNSS台站数据作为观测值,并采用三维变分与Gauss-Markov卡尔曼滤波相结合的算法进行背景场和观测值的数据同化,生成覆盖中国及周边区域的电离层TEC和GPS单频接收机延迟误差的格点化准实时现报地图,并在中国科学院空间环境预报中心（http：//sepc.ac.cn/TEC_chn.php）网上发布,每15 min进行更新.该系统是我国基于同化算法的电离层现报系统之一,已用于中国及周边区域的电离层环境实时监测,可为卫星导航、雷达成像、短波通信等科学研究和工程应用提供相对及时、准确、有效的电离层TEC和误差修正信息.     

基于Gauss-Markov卡尔曼滤波的电离层数值同化现报预报系统的构建-以中国及周边地区为例的观测系统模拟试验

本文给出了一个基于Gauss-Markov卡尔曼滤波的电离层数据同化系统的初步构建和试验结果.我们选择中国及周边地区部分涉及电离层观测的台站(包括子午工程台站、中国地壳形变网和部分IGS台站)作为观测系统进行模拟试验,背景场利用IRI模式,观测值则由NeQuick模式计算得到.我们的同化结果表明,采用Kalman滤波算法,把部分斜TEC同化到背景模式当中,能够获得较好的同化结果,说明我们设计的算法可行、所选择的各种参数比较合理,采用Gauss-Markov假设进行短期预报也取得了较合理的结果.本项研究经过进一步的改进和完善,可以用来对中国地区的电离层进行现报和短期预报,一方面满足相关空间工程应用,另一方面可以提升现有观测系统的科学意义.     

B-spline modeling of VTEC over Turkey using GPS observations

In this study we propose two approaches to model the Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) of the ionosphere with quadratic B-spline functions. For the 2-D case, VTEC is modeled in a Sun-fixed reference frame. In the 3-D approach, the 2-D model is extended to represent the temporal variations in an Earth-fixed reference frame. The localizing features of B-splines allow resolving finer structures for the regions with a sufficient number of observations by increasing the level of functions. To reduce the effects of outliers, Iteratively Re-weighted Least Squares (IRLS) with a bi-square weighting function as a robust regression algorithm is applied for parameter estimation. Another iterative method LSQR is performed for the solution of the linear systems providing a regularization effect for ill-conditioned problems. B-spline approaches are applied to real data obtained from the ground-based GPS observations over Turkey. Results are compared with the solutions of the Bernese GPS Software.     

GNSS(GPS)观测研究地壳运动的新进展

介绍了近几年来GNSS(GPS)系统、观测技术和数据处理方法和技术的发展,数据格式标准化的进展,全球参考框架现状,参考框架对地壳运动研究的影响和IGS的产品。介绍利用GNSS观测研究地壳运动的成果,包括大地震前后及震时的地壳运动结果,时间序列观测结果的研究进展等。     

Using tomography of GPS TEC to routinely determine ionospheric average electron density profiles

This paper introduces a technique that calculates average electron density (N_e) profiles over a wide geographic area of coverage, using tomographic ionospheric N_e profiles. These N_e profiles, which can provide information of the N_e distribution up to global positioning system (GPS) orbiting altitude (with the coordination of space-based GPS tomographic profiles), can be incorporated into the next generation of the international reference ionosphere (IRI) model. An additional advantage of tomography is that it enables accurate modeling of the topside ionosphere. By applying the tomographic reconstruction approach to ground-based GPS slant total electron content (STEC), we calculate 3-h average N_e profiles over a wide region. Since it uses real measurement data, tomographic average N_e profiles describe the ionosphere during quiet and disturbed periods. The computed average N_e profiles are compared with IRI model profiles and average N_e profiles obtained from ground-based ionosondes.     

A neural network approach for regional vertical total electron content modelling

A Neural Network model has been developed for estimating the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere. TEC is proportional to the delay suffered by electromagnetic signals crossing the ionosphere and is among the errors that impact GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) observations. Ionospheric delay is particularly a problem for single frequency receivers, which cannot eliminate the (first-order) ionospheric delay by combining observations at two frequencies. Single frequency users rely on applying corrections based on prediction models or on regional models formed based on actual data collected by a network of receivers. A regional model based on a neural network has been designed and tested using data sets collected by the Brazilian GPS Network (RMBC) covering periods of low and high solar activity. Analysis of the results indicates that the model is capable of recovering, on average, 85% of TEC values.     

Assessment of GPS data for meteorological applications over Africa: Study of error sources and analysis of positioning accuracy

The aim of this study is to assess the availability and quality of data from the International GNSS Service (IGS) Global Positioning System (GPS) network in Africa, especially for retrieving zenith tropospheric delay (ZTD), from which precipitable water vapour (PWV) can be derived, in view of application to the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) project. Three major error sources for the GPS data analysis evaluating PWV in Africa are the accuracy of the satellite orbits, the correction for the radio delay induced by the ionosphere and the vertical site displacements due to ocean loading. The first part of this study examines these error sources and the validity of GPS data for meteorological applications in Africa in dedicated analyses spanning the year 2001. These analyses were performed using the IGS precise orbits. Weak degradation of baseline precision with increasing baseline lengths suggests that the average orbital error is not limiting the GPS analysis in Africa. The impact of the ionosphere has been evaluated during a maximum of solar activity in 2001. The loss of L₂ data has actually been observed. It amounts to 2% on average for 2001, with maxima of 8% during magnetic storm events. A slight decrease in formal accuracy of ZTD seems to be related to the loss of L₂ data at the end of the day. This indicates that scintillation effects are present in the GPS observations but however are not a major limitation. The impact of ocean loading is found to be significant on ZTD estimates (up to ±2 mm in equivalent PWV). The use of a proper ocean loading model eliminates this effect.The second aspect of this study concerns the IGS analysis quality for the African stations. The accuracy has been assessed through position dispersion between individual solutions and the most recent version of the IGS combined solution IGb00, and residuals from the transformation of the IGS combined solution into the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 2005. The positioning performance of the IGS analysis is consistent with an accuracy in ZTD of ±6 mm (±1 mm in PWV), as requested for meteorological applications such as planned in AMMA.     

Ionospheric space weather effects monitored by simultaneous ground and space based GNSS signals

Ionospheric space weather effects can degrade the performance of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), i.e. their accuracy, reliability and availability. However, well established ground based and innovative space based GNSS measurements offer the unique chance for a permanent monitoring of the electron density structure of the global ionosphere–plasmasphere system. In this paper we review various types of perturbations in the ionospheric plasma density and distribution. In order to analyze these space weather effects we use 30 s sampled measurements provided by the global GPS ground tracking network of the IGS. Furthermore, to get a more comprehensive view on the perturbations analyzed also are simultaneously obtained GPS measurements onboard the LEO satellite CHAMP (challenging minisatellite payload). Whereas the ground based measurements show strong horizontal redistribution of plasma during ionospheric storms, the space-borne measurements indicate a severe vertical redistribution of the ionospheric plasma during the selected events. The role of the various dynamical forces such as meridional winds and electric fields is also discussed.     

New approaches in global ionospheric determination using ground GPS data

Since 1 June 1998, the group of Astronomy and Geomatics of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (gAGE/UPC) is contributing to the international project of defining an ionospheric product (Total Electron Content, TEC) from the data gathered by the permanent ground GPS receivers of the International GPS Service (IGS) network. The strategy and algorithms related to such a preliminary product, its calibration with synthetic observations generated from the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI), and the comparison with TOPEX TEC data are presented. Finally, these methods are applied combining ionosonde with ground GPS data, in order to obtain the vertical structure of the free electron distribution.     

应用经验正交函数估算顶部电离层电子密度剖面

本文基于IRI模型、地面数字测高仪和GNSS TEC数据,提出了一种利用经验正交函数(Empirical Orthogonal Function,简称EOF)估算顶部电离层电子密度剖面的方法,并将其应用于美国Millstone Hill测高仪和GNSS数据以估算顶部电离层电子密度剖面.通过将估算的临界频率、峰值高度、400km以上电子密度分别与测高仪实测临界频率、测高仪实测峰值高度以及非相干散射雷达实测400km以上电子密度作对比以对方法的有效性进行验证.统计结果显示估算临界频率、峰值高度与测高仪实测数据基本一致,400km以上估算电子密度相较于非相干散射雷达实测的绝对误差平均值仅是测高仪推算400km以上电子密度绝对误差平均值的一半左右.所以本文提出的方法可以更加精确地估算顶部电离层电子密度.     

Reconstructing Regional Ionospheric Electron Density: A Combined Spherical Slepian Function and Empirical Orthogonal Function Approach

The computerized ionospheric tomography is a method for imaging the Earth’s ionosphere using a sounding technique and computing the slant total electron content (STEC) values from data of the global positioning system (GPS). The most common approach for ionospheric tomography is the voxel-based model, in which (1) the ionosphere is divided into voxels, (2) the STEC is then measured along (many) satellite signal paths, and finally (3) an inversion procedure is applied to reconstruct the electron density distribution of the ionosphere. In this study, a computationally efficient approach is introduced, which improves the inversion procedure of step 3. Our proposed method combines the empirical orthogonal function and the spherical Slepian base functions to describe the vertical and horizontal distribution of electron density, respectively. Thus, it can be applied on regional and global case studies. Numerical application is demonstrated using the ground-based GPS data over South America. Our results are validated against ionospheric tomography obtained from the constellation observing system for meteorology, ionosphere, and climate (COSMIC) observations and the global ionosphere map estimated by international centers, as well as by comparison with STEC derived from independent GPS stations. Using the proposed approach, we find that while using 30 GPS measurements in South America, one can achieve comparable accuracy with those from COSMIC data within the reported accuracy (1 × 10¹¹ el/cm³) of the product. Comparisons with real observations of two GPS stations indicate an absolute difference is less than 2 TECU (where 1 total electron content unit, TECU, is 10¹⁶ electrons/m²).     

Local Ionospheric Modeling Using the Localized Global Ionospheric Map and Terrestrial GPS

global ionosphere maps are generated on a daily basis at CODE using data from about 200 GPS/GLONASS sites of the IGS and other institutions. The vertical total electron content is modeled in a solargeomagnetic reference frame using a spherical harmonics expansion up to degree and order 15. The spherical Slepian basis is a set of bandlimited functions which have the majority of their energy concentrated by optimization inside an arbitrarily defined region, yet remain orthogonal within the spatial region of interest. Hence, they are suitable for decomposing the spherical harmonic models into the portions that have significant strength only in the selected areas. In this study, the converted spherical harmonics to the Slepian bases were updated by the terrestrial GPS observations by use of the least-squares estimation with weighted parameters for local ionospheric modeling. Validations show that the approach adopted in this study is highly capable of yielding reliable results.     

基于GPS探测汶川地震电离层TEC的异常

利用球谐模型和中国地壳运动观测网络及IGS（International GNSS Service）基准站的GPS观测数据,分别计算了中国区域及全球电离层电子总含量（Total Electron Content,TEC）,采用了不同的统计分析方法,对汶川震中上空及邻近区域的TEC进行检查.结果发现：震前后一个星期,孕震区上空连续出现电离层异常扰动,其异常形态具有共轭结构,且呈现向磁赤道漂移趋势.     

华南地区电离层在汶川地震前VTEC异常的研究

基于华南地区GPS监测网数据．解算出华南地区电离层VTEC在汶川地震前出现的异常。从时间序列和空间等值线分布两方面分析了VTEC的变化．时间序列分析表明5月4日至5月12日电离层VTEC负异常扰动明显．5月4日至5月13日的空间分布也表明了同样的结论,并同时指出负异常有向低纬度区域漂移的趋势。并对异常判断依据和机理作了初步的讨论．     

基于GPS技术实时监测2009年7月22日日全食期间长三角区域电离层TEC变化

2009年7月22日上午发生的日全食是21世纪持续时间最长的日全食,其全食带覆盖了中国中部的K江流域,为研究日全食对电离层的影响提供了一次难得的机会,为此本文通过卡尔曼滤波算法实现了实时求解TEC和GPS系统硬件延迟,为实时监测日全食期间电离层变化提供了绝对的电离层TEC.采用上海和浙江区域内GPS网的观测数据,建立了...     

地基GPS VTEC约束的电离层掩星反演方法

本文在分析GPS电离层掩星Abel积分变换反演的基础上,介绍了一种顾及电离层水平梯度信息的反演新方法,即地基GPS VTEC约束的电离层掩星反演法,并将该方法应用于COSMIC低纬掩星观测资料的反演.初步的统计结果表明,与经典Abel变换反演相比,地基GPS VTEC约束反演的临界频率f_oF₂更接近于电离层测高仪观测的结果.