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.     

Automated daily process for global ionospheric total electron content maps and satellite ocean altimeter ionospheric calibration based on Global Positioning System data

The accuracy of single-frequency ocean altimeters benefits from calibration of the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere below the satellite. Data from a global network of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers provides timely, continuous, and globally well-distributed measurements of ionospheric electron content. For several months we have been running a daily automatic Global Ionospheric Map process which inputs global GPS data and climatological ionosphere data into a Kalman filter, and produces global ionospheric TEC maps and ocean altimeter calibration data within 24 h of the end-of-day. Other groups have successfully applied this output to altimeter data from the GFO satellite and in orbit determination for the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. Daily comparison of the global TEC maps with independent TEC data from the TOPEX altimeter is performed as a check on the calibration whenever the TOPEX data are available. Comparisons of the global TEC maps against TOPEX data will be discussed. Accuracy is best at mid-to-high absolute latitudes (∣latitude∣>30°) due to the better geographic distribution of GPS receivers and the relative simplicity of the ionosphere. Our highly data-driven technique is relatively less accurate at low latitudes and especially during ionospheric storm periods, due to the relative scarcity of GPS receivers and the structure and volatility of the ionosphere. However, it is still significantly more accurate than climatological models.     

Regional ionosphere modeling in support of IRI and wavelet using GPS observations

Dual-frequency global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) observations provide most of the input data for development of global ionosphere map (GIM) of vertical total electron content (VTEC). The international GNSS service (IGS) develops different ionosphere products. The IGS tracking network stations are not homogeneously distributed around the world. The large gaps of this network in Middle East, e.g., Iran plateau, reduce the accuracy of the IGS GIMs over this region. Empirical ionosphere models, such as international reference ionosphere (IRI), also provide coarse forecasts of the VTEC values. This paper presents a new regional VTEC model based on the IRI 2007 and global positioning system (GPS) observations from Iranian Permanent GPS Network. The model consists of a given reference part from IRI model and an unknown correction term. Compactly supported base functions are more appropriate than spherical harmonics in regional ionosphere modeling. Therefore, an unknown correction term was expanded in terms of B-spline functions. The obtained results are validated through comparison with the observed VTEC derived from GPS observations.     

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.     

Test of GPS for permanent ionospheric TEC monitoring at high latitudes

The Global Positioning System (GPS) observables are affected by the ionosphere. The dispersive nature of this effect and the use of two frequencies in the GPS observations make possible to measure the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) from dual frequency GPS data. In this work we test the concept of permanent monitoring of TEC using a network of GPS receivers at high latitudes. We have used GPS data from five permanent receivers in Scandinavia, from 1–30 January 1994, with geographic latitudes ranging from 57.4^°N to 78.9^°N. The results show the capability of the method to monitor the evolution of TEC as a function of time and geographical location. We have detected night-time enhancements almost every night for some of the stations, and we have also been able to produce maps of the instantaneous TEC as a function of both latitude and longitude around the GPS network. We also present some of the current limitations in the use of GPS for estimating TEC at high latitudes such as the difficulties in solving for cycle-slips, and the necessity of reliable values for the receiver and satellite differential instrumental biases.     

Effectiveness of using correcting multipliers in calculations of the total electron content according to the IRI2007 model

A comparison of the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere calculated using different correcting multipliers in the IRI2007 model with experimental data indicates that this model, which is not empirical with respect to the TEC, does not adequately reflect the quantitative and qualitative features of the TEC behavior. The situation can be improved by using new empirical models of the critical frequency and equivalent thickness of the ionosphere and new methods for determining the TEC.     

Assessment of global TEC mapping using a three-dimensional electron density model

Dual-frequency transmissions from the Global Positioning System satellites can be used to measure and map ionospheric total electron content (TEC) on global scales. Using data exclusively from ground-based GPS networks, global ionosphere mapping has been successfully applied using either two- or three-dimensional techniques. Two-dimensional TEC maps retrieve a horizontally-varying distribution of total electron content, assuming a fixed vertical electron density profile. In three-dimensional mapping, both the horizontal and vertical distribution density are adjusted to fit the data. We describe a three-dimensional TEC mapping algorithm that uses three independent constant-density slabs stacked vertically to model the electron density, and compare with a more conventional two-dimensional approach using a single slab. One apparent benefit of the new method is reduction in a level error of the TEC maps, which decreased by 1.7 TECU using the three-dimensional retrieval on simulated data (1 TEC Unit corresponds to 10¹⁶ electrons/m²). Another benefit of the multilayer approach is improved slant TEC modeling. Using actual data from an equatorial site at Cocos Islands (96.8E, 12.2 S), three slab modeling improved estimates of slant TEC by a factor of 2 for elevation angles between 10 and 20° (9 versus 4.4 TECU, root-mean-square). However, the global structure of the vertical TEC retrievals we analyzed did not improve using three-dimensional modeling. This may be due to a critical approximation shared by both techniques that TEC persists unchanged at a given local time. This assumption is required to produce global maps from observations acquired from widely scattered ground receivers. Further improving the retrieval of global TEC structure with ground-based data probably requires improved dynamical models of TEC behavior. New data available from GPS receivers in low Earth orbit is also promising.     

On conformity of the EEJ based ionospheric model to the fountain effect and resulting improvements

The total electron content (TEC) of the equatorial ionosphere is controlled by photochemical processes as well as the transport of the ionospheric plasma near the magnetic equator. The transport phenomenon is initiated by the vertical drift driven by the eastward electric field, which also drives the Equatorial Electrojet. The empirical relation between the Equatorial Electrojet and the anomaly component of the equatorial TEC has already been established. Taking this relation as a reference, a simplified physical model of the anomaly component of equatorial TEC is obtained as a function of Equatorial Electrojet. Influence of other factors like the solar incidence angle and the solar flux are also considered here and the extent of their influence are also investigated. This has been done using TEC data obtained from dual frequency GPS receivers during the low solar activity period of 2005. The derived model is based on the physics of the underlying fountain effect and matches with the observed empirical relation to a fair extent. Obtained results are found to corroborate with previous findings and these physical model values are found to have improved correlation with the observed data than the reference empirical relation. This establishes the conformity between the EEJ based ionospheric model and the physical phenomenon of the fountain effect.     

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.     

Verification of the concept of seismoionospheric coupling under quiet heliogeomagnetic conditions,using the Wenchuan (China) earthquake of May 12, 2008, as an example

The variability of the ionosphere during April–May, 2008, has been analyzed in detail in order to reveal anomalous variations related to seismic activity, initiated by the strongest Wenchuan earthquake (M = 7.9) in the Sichuan province on May 12, 2008. Information about the total electron content (TEC) from the network of GPS receivers in the earthquake region, the global IONEX TEC maps, and the reconstructed vertical profiles of electron density according to the data of GPS receivers were used as a data source. The spatial and time localization of the observed anomalies, their morphological features, and the absence of geomagnetic disturbances during the observation period undoubtedly demonstrate that the observed variations were caused by seismic activity.     

顶部电离层和等离子体层电子密度分布——基于GRACE星载GPS信标测量的CT反演

本文利用两颗跟飞的GRACE卫星载GPS信标测量数据和基于差分相对TEC的层析算法,实现了全球范围的顶部电离层和等离子体层(450~5000 km) 层析成像.反演结果表明,利用低轨道卫星载GPS信标测量数据可以有效地重建顶部电离层和等离子体层的全球二维分布图像.对不同地磁活动条件下的天基层析反演结果表明,等离子体层电子密度随纬度的分布是不均匀的;在低纬赤道带,从顶部电离层向上延伸直到等离子体层,以及等离子体层中局地的电离增强云团,经常出现近似垂直于磁力线的电子密度柱状增强结构.     

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.     

Numerical simulation of the variations in the total electron content of the ionosphere observed before the Haiti earthquake of January 12, 2010

We present the results of a study of the abnormal variations in the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere observed before the earthquake of January 12, 2010, in Haiti. Global and regional maps of TEC relative (%) deviations from the quite background state are built for January 9–12, 2010. Using the UAM (Upper Atmosphere Model) global numerical model of the upper atmosphere of the Earth, the variations in the electric potential in the ionosphere and TEC are calculated using external seismic current above faults between the Earth and the ionosphere as a lower boundary condition. The numerical simulation results are compared with observations. It is shown that the simulated variations in the TEC at a specified current density of about 1 × 10^?8 A/m² on an area of 200 km (latitude) × 4000 km (longitude) above the focus represent all main features of the observations: prevalence of increased TEC values (positive disturbances), neighboring negative disturbances of lower magnitudes, localization, magnetic conjugacy of high-intensity effects in the Southern Hemisphere, and disappearance of disturbances around midday. Methodological recommendations are given to reveal variations in the TEC related to the preparation of seismic events.     

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...     

电离层预报模型研究

当利用无线电电磁波进行远程通信、卫星导航时,传递信号要受到电离层的影响,因此,对电离层中电子含量的研究显得特别重要.虽然国际上有几种电离层的电子含量预报模型,但其预报只能精确到电子含量的50%～60%.本文提出了一种新的电离层电子含量预报方法:即用球谐函数对IGS(国际GPS服务)所给出的离地面450 km高的球面上的每一网点的电离层电子含量进行拟合,对不同的时间所得到的拟合系数所形成的时间序列用时间序列分析理论中的ARMA(p,q)模型进行预报,从而实现全球的电离层电子含量预报.利用本方法对2004年和2005年IGS所给电离层电子含量资料在地理框架中做了分析预报,5天内电子含量预报相对精度在90%左右.     

Modeling the ionospheric electron content for the correction of altimetric measurements

The TOPEX-POSEIDON oceanographic satellite (due to be launched in 1992) will proceed to high accuracy altimetric measurements of the sea surface. Since the altimeter signals will propagate through the ionosphere, they will be retarded with respect to their free-space propagation delay. As a result, the measured altitude will exhibit an apparent lengthening which must be considered. In order to correct this effect, the ionosphere total electron content (TEC) beneath the satellite has to be known. This paper addresses the problem of determining the TEC form Doppler measurements performed on telemetric signals propagating between the satellite and the ground stations of the DORIS positioning system. This is an inverse problem which, in general, does not admit a single-valued solution. Physical observations of the ionophere lead us to assume that the TEC along each half-revolution is regular such that we can select an appropriate solution. This solution is approximated by cubic splines. The computed results are compared to simulation results, based on the Bent ionospheric model and seem to be particularly promising.     

Ultra-low-frequency (ULF) and total electron content (TEC) anomalies observed at Agra and their association with regional earthquakes

Employing a three-component search coil magnetometer (f = 0.01–30 Hz) the ultra-low-frequency (ULF) magnetic field observations have been taken in a noise free rural site at Bichpuri, Agra, India since 20 April 2007. We have analysed 7 months of night time data from 01 May to 30 November 2007. The data show seven occurrences of ULF bursts with periods ranging from a few minutes to an hour in a wide frequency range up to 15 Hz. The occurrence of such ULF bursts has been statistically analysed. The polarization parameter analysis shows that two of these bursts occurred from sources in the ionosphere and magnetosphere (Z/X < 1). It is further seen that four bursts correlated very well with some regional earthquakes (M > 4.5), which occurred at distances less than 628 km from the observation site at Agra. In some cases the bursts occurred 1–3 days prior to the main shocks.Since earthquakes are also known to perturb the ionosphere, we have analysed total electron content (TEC) data obtained from a GPS receiver stationed at Agra since June 2006. Analysis of the data for the same period as the magnetic field observations shows that there existed TEC anomalies on all the days when ULF bursts occurred. The TEC anomalies show enhancement and depletion in the data in all cases. While the mechanisms of the ULF and TEC anomalies are not well known, it is expected that the ULF bursts occurred due to microfracturing of the earth's crust during stress accumulation and that the TEC anomalies occurred as a result of the electric field induced in the ionosphere during such processes.     

中国西南区域孕震区电离层TEC变化长时间序列分析

通过中国地壳运动网络提供的GPS观测数据,获取了高精度电离层TEC分布,采用滑动四分位法分析了中国西南区域2008年4—10月(太阳和地磁活动平静时段)6次连续的MW6.0以上地震期间孕震区电离层TEC长时间变化及其异常分布;并在此基础上利用GIM数据对比分析了全球TEC变化特征。鉴于电离层主要受到太阳和地磁等空间天气的影响,将TEC变化与太阳EUV辐射、行星际磁场南向分量IMF Bz以及地磁活动指数Dst和Kp进行了比较。结果发现,该时段内电离层TEC异常扰动与太阳和地磁活动有很好的相关性;除汶川地震外,其他地震前没有发现明显的跟地震相关的TEC异常扰动现象。同时,对比分析了与上述研究区位于同一地磁纬度的"检验区"(30°~50°E,15°~35°N)的GPS TEC随时间变化和异常分布情况,结果显示TEC异常分布的时空特征与研究区域较为一致。由于电离层是一个复杂的系统,其扰动具有多源性,而且地震电离层扰动现象是复杂多变的,因此需要联合地基和天基手段共同观测,并加强其机理研究。     

Kalman filter-based algorithms for monitoring the ionosphere and plasmasphere with GPS in near-real time

Data collected from a GPS receiver located at low latitudes in the American sector are used to investigate the performance of the WinTEC algorithm [Anghel et al., 2008a, Kalman filter-based algorithm for near realtime monitoring of the ionosphere using dual frequency GPS data. GPS Solutions, accepted for publication; for different ionospheric modeling techniques: the single-shell linear, quadratic, and cubic approaches, and the multi-shell linear approach. Our results indicate that the quadratic and cubic approaches perform much better than the single-shell and multi-shell linear approaches in terms of post-fit residuals. The performance of the algorithm for the cubic approach is then further tested by comparing the vertical TEC predicted by WinTEC and USTEC [Spencer et al., 2004. Ionospheric data assimilation methods for geodetic applications. In: Proceedings of IEEE PLANS, Monterey, CA, 26–29 April, pp. 510–517] at five North American stations. In addition, since the GPS-derived total electron content (TEC) contains contributions from both ionospheric and plasmaspheric sections of the GPS ray paths, in an effort to improve the accuracy of the TEC retrievals, a new data assimilation module that uses background information from an empirical plasmaspheric model [Gallagher et al., 1988. An empirical model of the Earth's plasmasphere. Advances in Space Research 8, (8)15–(8)24] has been incorporated into the WinTEC algorithm. The new Kalman filter-based algorithm estimates both the ionospheric and plasmaspheric electron contents, the combined satellite and receiver biases, and the estimation error covariance matrix, in a single-site or network solution. To evaluate the effect of the plasmaspheric component on the estimated biases and total TEC and to assess the performance of the newly developed algorithm, we compare the WinTEC results, with and without the plasmaspheric term included, at three GPS receivers located at different latitudes in the American sector, during a solar minimum period characterized by quiet and moderate geomagnetic conditions. We also investigate the consistency of our plasmaspheric results by taking advantage of the specific donut-shaped geometry of the plasmasphere and applying the technique at 12 stations distributed roughly over four geomagnetic latitudes and three longitude sectors.     

Total electron content monitoring using triple frequency GNSS data: A three-step approach

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are very useful tools to study the ionosphere. Nevertheless, the precision of the usual dual frequency total electron content (TEC) monitoring technique is affected by code delays (hardware and multipath), and is therefore limited. This paper introduces a TEC monitoring technique based on triple frequency GPS and Galileo measurements. The three steps of this technique are validated on triple frequency simulated data. In fact, as it is not affected by code delays, the precision of the reconstructed TEC is improved in regards with the dual frequency technique.