电离层GPS掩星观测改正TEC反演方法

电离层掩星观测中,当低轨卫星（LEO）轨道高度较低时,轨道以上的电离层电子总含量（TEC）对掩星反演的影响不能忽略.目前,一般采用指数函数等外推方法来处理该问题,对反演结果可能引起较大误差.为提高电离层掩星反演精度,本文研究利用LEO处于非掩星一侧GPS观测数据的改正TEC新反演方法.用三维射线追踪程序计算出电离层掩星观测模拟数据,分别应用改正TEC方法和外推方法进行反演,将反演结果与所用模式值进行比较.结果表明：对于轨道高度约800km的GPS/MET掩星模拟数据,外推方法和改正TEC方法反演结果都与模式值基本一致;对于轨道高度约400km的CHAMP掩星模拟数据,外推方法误差较大,改正TEC方法反演结果与模式值相符得较好.将改正TEC方法应用于GPS/MET实测数据的反演,取得了合理的结果.这些说明,改正TEC算法是一种有效的电离层掩星反演方法,尤其是对于轨道较低的LEO的电离层掩星观测反演特别有用.     

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长江流域,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,建立了实时区域电离层延迟模型,进而计算出了实时的VTEC和TEC变化率.同时考虑太阳和地磁活动参数,综合上述方法详细分析和讨论了长三角区域在此次日全食期间的TEC变化的电离层异常现象.     

面向电离层反演的参数平滑迭代层析方法

层析是电离层三维结构反演的重要技术.增加约束可缓解层析模型的病态问题.然而, 迭代层析中, 大量无射线穿过的网格易对施加的约束产生与真实意图相违背的约束结果(称负面约束).针对该问题, 提出了一种参数平滑的迭代层析方法(iterative tomography method via parameters smoothing, ITPS).每次迭代中, 先用Chapman函数及最小二乘法拟合及改正每一垂直剖面, 获取关于Chapman函数参数的二维图像, 然后用移动窗口法平滑各参数图像并以此改正各网格的电子密度.实验表明: ITPS方法可一定程度上减少负面约束并抑制层像的扰动.相对于MART和CMART算法, ITPS方法在垂直剖面、F2层临界频率(f_oF₂)、F2层峰值高度(h_mF₂)、斜电子总含量(Slant Total Electron Content, STEC)及h_mF₂以上电子密度等方面均具有更佳的表现.相对于精度较高的CMART算法, ITPS方法在f_oF₂与h_mF₂的平均优化率分别为7.49%及6.60%, STEC的平均优化率为5.19%, h_mF₂以上电子密度的平均优化率为11.41%.

     

Global sounding of sporadic E layers by the GPS/MET radio occultation experiment

The GPS radio occultation technique is sensitive for layered structures with horizontal scales of around 100 km and with vertical scales of a few 100 m or more at the Earth's limb. These structures cause strong fluctuations of the GPS L1 and L2 phase paths which have been measured by a GPS receiver onboard of Microlab-1 satellite in 730 km orbit during the GPS/Meteorology experiment (GPS/MET of UCAR, Boulder). By means of GPS/MET radio occultation data, profiles of electron density fluctuations are derived for the mesosphere/lower thermosphere region with a height resolution of around 1 km. Data analysis of 1900 radio occultation events in June/July 1995, 1540 events in October 1995, and 2690 events in February 1997 confirms seasonal dependence of sporadic E layers. The meridian slices of average sporadic E activity show a dominance of plasma irregularities in the summer hemisphere. The irregularities mainly occur at heights 90–110 km. Auroral and equatorial sporadic E, electron density depletions, and multiple ionization layers are also present in the high resolution GPS/MET data. The multiple layers often have a distance of around 5–10 km in height, and appear up to a height of 140 km (upper height limit for 50 Hz sampling rate of GPS receiver). For February and June, the GPS/MET observations are compared to ground-based observations of the Asia/Australia ionosonde chain.     

中国地区电离层TEC暴扰动研究

电离层总电子含量(TEC)是空间天气研究和监测预报的重要参量.本文引入了电离层TEC扰动指数DI, 对青岛等6个台站的DI数据进行分析,选取DI>0.35(DI≤-0.30)作为正(负)相电离层TEC扰动的强度标准,并以连续6 h及以上的DI满足该值来判定电离层TEC暴扰动事件.对电离层TEC暴扰动事件的统计分析表明,在地方时日落后至子夜前为发生高峰时段,正(负)相暴扰动事件平均持续时间约为10.9 h(10.5 h),正相暴发生率以冬季为多,夏季为少,而负相暴则以夏季略高.发现位于赤道异常驼峰区的广州站和位于高中纬度的海拉尔站比典型中纬地区的北京站电离层TEC暴扰动更易发生,且低纬地区以正相暴扰动为主.分析表明,约有70%的电离层TEC暴扰动伴随着有地磁扰动,但是电离层TEC暴扰动并不完全由地磁扰动所引起,强烈气象活动等局地环境因素也可能对电离层TEC暴扰动有着重要影响.     

中国地区电离层TEC暴扰动研究

电离层总电子含量(TEC)是空间天气研究和监测预报的重要参量.本文引入了电离层TEC扰动指数DI, 对青岛等6个台站的DI数据进行分析,选取DI>0.35(DI≤-0.30)作为正(负)相电离层TEC扰动的强度标准,并以连续6 h及以上的DI满足该值来判定电离层TEC暴扰动事件.对电离层TEC暴扰动事件的统计分析表明,在地方时日落后至子夜前为发生高峰时段,正(负)相暴扰动事件平均持续时间约为10.9 h(10.5 h),正相暴发生率以冬季为多,夏季为少,而负相暴则以夏季略高.发现位于赤道异常驼峰区的广州站和位于高中纬度的海拉尔站比典型中纬地区的北京站电离层TEC暴扰动更易发生,且低纬地区以正相暴扰动为主.分析表明,约有70%的电离层TEC暴扰动伴随着有地磁扰动,但是电离层TEC暴扰动并不完全由地磁扰动所引起,强烈气象活动等局地环境因素也可能对电离层TEC暴扰动有着重要影响.     

利用GPS监测电离层不均匀结构探讨

利用上海地区GPS综合应用网提供的高时空分辨率的双频GPS观测资料,研究了该区域内一电离层不均匀体的产生、消亡过程.首先,采用Kalman滤波的方法改善双频伪距之差的观测精度,并利用参数估计的方法计算该时段内相应的硬件延迟.再根据电离层单层模型,利用GPS双频观测量、测站位置和GPS精密星历,求出GPS信号穿刺点的坐标和垂直方向电离层的电子含量;然后内插并获取其等值线图.等值线图随时间的变化表明,受等离子体湍流的影响,2003年9月8日北京时间9时40分左右在38°N、118°E左右产生了一电离层不均匀体,其尺度大约在50km左右,生存时间大约为5min.受地球重力场和高空风场的影响,该不均匀体向东北方向扩散.然后,利用大气扩散模型,按扩散方程计算分析了该不均匀体可能发生的电离层层区.理论计算表明,该不均匀体发生在电离层扩展F区,高度在350km左右.     

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.     

利用日本GPS网探测2011年Tohoku海啸引发的电离层扰动

海平面的海啸波会产生大气重力波进而引发电离层扰动.本文利用日本GPS总电子含量数据来探测2011年3月11日Tohoku海啸引发的电离层扰动.观测结果表明,在日本上空的电离层中存在两种重力波信号,分别由海平面的海啸波以及地震破裂过程产生.地震产生的电离层重力波分布在震中周围（包括海洋上空以及远离海洋的区域）,而海啸引发的电离层重力波主要分布在海洋上空.地震产生的电离层重力波具有不同的水平速度,包括约210 m·s^-1以及170 m·s^-1,其频率为1.5 mHz;而海啸引发的电离层重力波水平速度快于前者,约为280 m·s^-1,其频率为1.0 mHz.此外,海啸引发电离层重力波与海平面上的海啸波有相似的水平速度、方向、运行时间、波形以及频率等传播特征.本文的研究将电离层中的海啸信号与地震信号区分开来,进一步确认电离层对海啸波的敏感性.

     

利用COSMIC低轨卫星对GPS信号的顶部TEC观测资料研究等离子体层电子含量的变化特征

本文尝试利用COSMIC低轨卫星对GPS信号的顶部TEC观测资料研究等离子体层电子含量(简称PEC)的变化规律.首先介绍从低轨卫星对GPS的顶部TEC观测资料提取等离子体层垂直电子含量的方法,然后利用该方法提取2008年全年的PEC数据,进而研究了2008年这一太阳活动低年PEC随地磁纬度(MLAT)、磁地方时(MLT)以及不同季节的变化规律.此外,还利用提取的120°E和300°E经度链上的数据对比研究了PEC的经度变化情形.研究结果表明:(1)PEC主要集中分布在磁赤道±45°之间的一个绕地球的环带状区域中;(2)PEC表现出以下的昼夜变化规律特征:白天时段之值高于夜间,约在12-16MLT之间达到最高峰值,而最小PEC值出现在日出前大约4-5MLT左右的时段;(3)相比其他季节月份而言,PEC在北半球夏季月份(5-8月)具有最小值;(4)PEC存在明显的经度变化,不同经度链上的PEC存在不同的季节变化特征.     

顾及电离层变化的层析反演新算法

区别于以往GPS电离层层析研究主要关注迭代模型的思路,本文从两方面入手提高GPS电离层层析迭代算法的反演精度:一方面,顾及传统电离层层析迭代模型仅与对电子密度误差起放大作用的GPS射线截距权重相关的不足,提出考虑层析像素格网中的电子密度对GPS TEC的贡献建立新的迭代模型,在不同电子密度像素格网内重新分配GPS TEC 实测值与其反演值之间的差距;另一方面,顾及电离层层析迭代算法中松弛因子对反演结果的影响,提出考虑电子密度变化构造新的松弛因子,抑制传播噪声对电子密度反演精度的影响.实验结果显示,相对于传统代数重构算法(ART),新方法反演的电离层电子密度剖面更接近于电离层测高仪观测的电子密度剖面,提高了电子密度反演精度.     

利用GPS网观测反射海啸波引发的电离层扰动

震中产生的海啸波传播到海岸或者遇到水下障碍时会发生反射,从而形成反射海啸波.本文利用稠密的日本GEONET网,首次在电离层扰动图中观测到2011年3月11日Tohoku地震引发的反射海啸波信号.观测到的电离层扰动与海平面的反射海啸波具有相似的波形、水平速度、方向、周期以及到达时间等传播特征,表明观测的电离层扰动为反射海啸波所引起.本文的观测结果表明反射海啸产生的大气内重力波也能向上传播到电离层与等离子体作用.

     

基于Swarm卫星GPS/TEC观测的顶部电离层三维电子密度分布的层析法研究

利用两颗伴飞的Swarm A/C卫星搭载的双频GPS接收机获取的TEC数据,在两个卫星轨道平面同时对顶部电离层电子密度进行层析成像,实现对顶部电离层电子密度的三维观测.为了能够重现扰动期间电离层电子密度的空间变化特征,在正则化求解过程中,我们引入了水平矩阵H和垂直矩阵V刻画电子密度的空间变化特征,引入整体约束矩阵C以调节不同空间对电子密度相对变化的权重.数值验证结果表明我们的算法对常见的观测误差具有较强的包容性,反演计算出的电子密度平均偏差优于10%.在不同地磁活动条件下,与第三方观测数据的对比,验证了本文反演算法的可靠性.实测数据反演结果表明我们的算法不仅能够较好地重现顶部电离层子午向百公里级别的不规则结构,还能有效分辨纬向相隔~150 km的两个卫星轨道平面的电子密度差异.     

利用GPS计算TEC的方法及其对电离层扰动的观测

在总结用ＧＰＳ研究电离层电子总量ＴＥＣ的数据处理方法基础上,分析了利用伪距观测量和载波相位观测量计算电离层ＴＥＣ的特点及误差来源．在处理过程中考虑了卫星的硬件延迟偏差,分析了应用ＩＲＩ模型进行接收机硬件延迟偏差修正的可能性,发现利用少量ＧＰＳ数据和ＩＲＩ模型修正接收机硬件延迟偏差有一定的困难．最后,利用一些ＧＰＳ观测数据有针对性地研究了电离层对若干次扰动事件的响应．包括一次大的太阳耀斑期间的电离层ＴＥＣ变化、一次较典型的电离层行扰以及日食期间的电离层ＴＥＣ的相对变化等电离层物理问题．结果表明,利用该方法计算ＴＥＣ的精度可满足电离层扰动现象的研究．     

Inversion, error analysis, and validation of GPS/MET occultation data

The global positioning system meteorology (GPS/MET) experiment was the first practical demonstration of global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based active limb sounding employing the radio occultation technique. This method measures, as principal observable and with millimetric accuracy, the excess phase path (relative to propagation in vacuum) of GNSS-transmitted radio waves caused by refraction during passage through the Earth’s neutral atmosphere and ionosphere in limb geometry. It shows great potential utility for weather and climate system studies in providing an unique combination of global coverage, high vertical resolution and accuracy, long-term stability, and all-weather capability. We first describe our GPS/MET data processing scheme from excess phases via bending angles to the neutral atmospheric parameters refractivity, density, pressure and temperature. Special emphasis is given to ionospheric correction methodology and the inversion of bending angles to refractivities, where we introduce a matrix inversion technique (instead of the usual integral inversion). The matrix technique is shown to lead to identical results as integral inversion but is more directly extendable to inversion by optimal estimation. The quality of GPS/MET-derived profiles is analyzed with an error estimation analysis employing a Monte Carlo technique. We consider statistical errors together with systematic errors due to upper-boundary initialization of the retrieval by a priori bending angles. Perfect initialization and properly smoothed statistical errors allow for better than 1 K temperature retrieval accuracy up to the stratopause. No initialization and statistical errors yield better than 1 K accuracy up to 30 km but less than 3 K accuracy above 40 km. Given imperfect initialization, biases ≫ 2 K propagate down to below 30 km height in unfavorable realistic cases. Furthermore, results of a statistical validation of GPS/MET profiles through comparison with atmospheric analyses of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are presented. The comparisons indicate the high utility of the occultation data in that very good agreement of upper troposphere/lower stratosphere temperature (better than 1.5 K rms, ≪ 0.5 K bias) is found for a region (Europe+USA) where the ECMWF analyses are known to be good, but poorer agreement for a region (Southern Pacific) where the analyses are known to be degraded.     

利用GPS三频数据计算电离层垂直总电子含量变化率

研究了通过采样间隔为1 s的GPS三频载波相位观测数据计算1 Hz电离层垂直总电子含量变化率（RVTEC）的方法,推导了直接采用双频载波相位观测量计算RVTEC的公式,对一般空间环境与电离层活动剧烈两种条件下L1L2、L1L5、L2L5三种载波相位组合计算的RVTEC进行了一致性分析,给出了通过三频载波相位观测数据计算电离层RVTEC的修正方法,比较了X射线太阳耀斑期间RVTEC与由传统方法计算的总电子含量变化率（ROT）响应,在双星串飞编队测高模式下对计算方法进行了应用.结果表明,L1L2、L1L5两种组合之间的一致性较好,由L1L2、L1L5组合计算的RVTEC的中误差约为0.004 TECu/s,RVTEC较ROT更能体现TEC变化的细节,在双星串飞编队测高模式下海面高梯度的计算中,电离层延迟之差可以忽略.

     

Ionospheric activity and possible connection with seismicity: Contribution from the analysis of long time series of GNSS signals

The modifications of some atmospheric physical properties prior to a high magnitude earthquake were debated in the frame of the Lithosphere Atmosphere Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) model. In this work, among the variety of involved phenomena, the ionisation of air at the ionospheric levels triggered by the leaking of gases from the Earth’s crust was investigated through the analysis of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals. In particular, the authors analysed a 5 year (2008–2012) long series of GNSS based ionospheric TEC to produce maps over an area surrounding the epicentre of the L’Aquila (Italy, M_w = 6.3) earthquake of April 6th, 2009. The series was used to detect and quantify amplitude and duration of episodes of ionospheric disturbances by a statistical approach and to discriminate local and global effects on the ionosphere comparing these series with TEC values provided by the analysis of GNSS data from international permanent trackers distributed over a wider region. The study found that during this time interval only three statistically meaningful episodes of ionospheric disturbances were observed. One of them, occurring during the night of 16th of March 2009, anticipated the main shock by 3 weeks and could be connected with the strong earthquake of 6th of April. The other two significant episodes were detected within periods that were not close to the main seismic events and are more likely due to various and global reasons.     

Investigation of ionospheric TEC changes related to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake based on statistic analysis and signal detection

Ionospheric TEC (total electron content) time series are derived from GPS measurements at 13 stations around the epicenter of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Defining anomaly bounds for a sliding window by quartile and 2-standard deviation of TEC values, this paper analyzed the characteristics of ionospheric changes before and after the destructive event. The Neyman-Pearson signal detection method is employed to compute the probabilities of TEC abnormalities. Result shows that one week before the Wenchuan earthquake, ionospheric TEC over the epicenter and its vicinities displays obvious abnormal disturbances, most of which are positive anomalies. The largest TEC abnormal changes appeared on May 9, three days prior to the seismic event. Signal detection shows that the largest possibility of TEC abnormity on May 9 is 50.74%, indicating that ionospheric abnormities three days before the main shock are likely related to the preparation process of the M_S8.0 Wenchuan earthquake.     

TEC variations over the Mediterranean before and during the strong earthquake (M = 6.5) of 12th October 2013 in Crete,Greece

In this paper, the total electron content (TEC) data from eight global positioning system (GPS) stations of the EUREF network, provided by IONOLAB (Turkey), were analyzed using discrete Fourier analysis to investigate the TEC variations over the Mediterranean before and during the strong earthquake of 12th October 2013, which occurred west of Crete, Greece. In accordance with the results of similar analyses in the area, the main conclusions of this study are the following: (a) TEC oscillations in a broad range of frequencies occur randomly over an area of several hundred km from the earthquake and (b) high frequency oscillations (f ⩾ 0.0003 Hz, periods T ⩽ 60 m) may point to the location of the earthquake with questionable accuracy. The fractal characteristics of the frequency distribution may point to the locus of the earthquake with higher accuracy. We conclude that the lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC) mechanism through acoustic or gravity waves could explain this phenomenology.     

红河断裂带的GPS观测数据反演

本文利用1999和2003年的GPS观测数据,通过在欧亚框架下的数据反演,并根据断裂带的活动性质和活动性的强弱,将测区范围内的红河断裂带分为三段（见图3示）：北段断裂带、南段断裂带和中间转换区.