Topside Ionosphere and Plasmasphere Modelling Using GNSS Radio Occultation and POD Data

A 3D-model approach has been developed to describe the electron density of the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements onboard low Earth orbit satellites. Electron density profiles derived from ionospheric Radio Occultation (RO) data are extrapolated to the upper ionosphere and plasmasphere based on a linear Vary-Chap function and Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements. A final update is then obtained by applying tomographic algorithms to the slant TEC measurements. Since the background specification is created with RO data, the proposed approach does not require using any external ionospheric/plasmaspheric model to adapt to the most recent data distributions. We assessed the model accuracy in 2013 and 2018 using independent TEC data, in situ electron density measurements, and ionosondes. A systematic better specification was obtained in comparison to NeQuick, with improvements around 15% in terms of electron density at 800 km, 26% at the top-most region (above 10,000 km) and 26% to 55% in terms of TEC, depending on the solar activity level. Our investigation shows that the developed model follows a known variation of electron density with respect to geographic/geomagnetic latitude, altitude, solar activity level, season, and local time, revealing the approach as a practical and useful tool for describing topside ionosphere and plasmasphere using satellite-based GNSS data

ESTIMATIVA DA TENDÊNCIA DIFERENCIAL DO CÓDIGO NOS RECEPTORES GNSS

A tendência diferencial devido ao atraso do código (DCB) dos satélites e receptores é um dos parâmetros estimados, juntamente com o conteúdo total de elétrons (TEC), nos modelos ionosféricos que utilizam dados do GNSS. O IGS disponibiliza arquivos em formato IONEX que fornecem os valores dos DCB’s dos satélites e receptores utilizados na modelagem do TEC a partir de uma rede GNSS global. Visando calcular o DCB para qualquer estação receptora, pertencente ou não a rede utilizada pelos centros de análise do IGS, este trabalho apresenta uma técnica de estimativa do DCB do receptor baseada em arquivos IONEX. O método estima o DCB do receptor a partir da média aritmética da combinação linear livre da geometria. O processamento é realizado com menos esforço computacional ao utilizado na modelagem ionosférica, pois não é necessário realizar a modelagem do TEC. Os DCB’s estimados apresentaram concordância de 0,47 ns com os DCB’s disponibilizados nos arquivos IONEX do CODE em estações pertencentes à região brasileira

Tomographic imaging of ionospheric plasma bubbles based on GNSS and radio occultation measurements

Total electron content measurements given by the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) have successfully presented results to capture the signatures of equatorial plasma bubbles. In contrast, the correct reproduction of plasma depletions at electron density level is still a relevant challenge for ionospheric tomographic imaging. In this regard, this work shows the first results of a new tomographic reconstruction technique based on GNSS and radio-occultation data to map the vertical and horizontal distributions of ionospheric plasma bubbles in one of the most challenging conditions of the equatorial region. Twenty-three days from 2013 and 2014 with clear evidence of plasma bubble structures propagating through the Brazilian region were analyzed and compared with simultaneous observations of all-sky images in the 630.0 nm emission line of the atomic oxygen. The mean rate of success of the tomographic method was 37.1%, being more efficient near the magnetic equator, where the dimensions of the structures are larger. Despite some shortcomings of the reconstruction technique, mainly associated with ionospheric scintillations and the weak geometry of the ground-based GNSS receivers, both vertical and horizontal distributions were mapped over more than 30° in latitude, and have been detected in instances where the meteorological conditions disrupted the possibility of analyzing the OI 630 nm emissions. Therefore, the results revealed the proposed tomographic reconstruction as an efficient tool for mapping characteristics of the plasma bubble structures, which may have a special interest in Space Weather, Spatial Geodesy, and Telecommunications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

GPS Scintillations and Total Electron Content Climatology in the Southern American Sector

The radio communication and navigation systems can be strongly affected by the ionospheric conditions, which are controlled by solar phenomena associated with radiation variations and solar wind disturbances. These phenomena can generate ionospheric large-scale plasma redistribution and irregularities with scale sizes varying from centimeters to hundred kilometers. These ionospheric irregularities can produce rapid fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals, degrading the accuracy of GNSS measurements. Here we give a short review of the ionospheric variations associated with solar phenomena, and the actual state of art in the investigations of long-term (seasonal and solar cycle scales) TEC variations and climatology of scintillations, with focus on the southern American sector. It also presented a new TEC calibration procedure when applied to single-frequency PPP

A backpack-mounted omnidirectional camera with off-the-shelf navigation sensors for mobile terrestrial mapping: Development and forest application

The use of Personal Mobile Terrestrial System (PMTS) has increased considerably for mobile mapping applications because these systems offer dynamic data acquisition with ground perspective in places where the use of wheeled platforms is unfeasible, such as forests and indoor buildings. PMTS has become more popular with emerging technologies, such as miniaturized navigation sensors and off-the-shelf omnidirectional cameras, which enable low-cost mobile mapping approaches. However, most of these sensors have not been developed for high-accuracy metric purposes and therefore require rigorous methods of data acquisition and data processing to obtain satisfactory results for some mapping applications. To contribute to the development of light, low-cost PMTS and potential applications of these off-the-shelf sensors for forest mapping, this paper presents a low-cost PMTS approach comprising an omnidirectional camera with off-the-shelf navigation systems and its evaluation in a forest environment. Experimental assessments showed that the integrated sensor orientation approach using navigation data as the initial information can increase the trajectory accuracy, especially in covered areas. The point cloud generated with the PMTS data had accuracy consistent with the Ground Sample Distance (GSD) range of omnidirectional images (3.5–7 cm). These results are consistent with those obtained for other PMTS approaches. View Full-Text Keywords: personal mobile terrestrial system; omnidirectional cameras; low-cost sensors; forest mapping; PMTS data quality </div

Geodesia as a Support Tool for the Pantanal Neotectonics Understanding: the Corumbá Fluviometric Station Example, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) were initially designed to extend the coverage and accuracy of navigation systems, but given the possible applications, it is possible to analyze the different terrestrial phenomena from a specific methodology. how to estimate the speed and direction of the plate tectonics or blocks where the stations rest. In the present work we sought to extend and derive GNSS applications, seeking to better understand the regional geotectonics of the Pantanal Sedimentary Basin. In this sense, the combination of SIRGAS (Geocentric Reference System for the Americas) GNSS speed data with water surface data in times of flood and drought was modeled. From the obtained results, it can be concluded that the variation in the volume and weight of the water during the times of flood and of drought are reflected in the position of the height ruler located in Corumbá-MS. This volume of water, in addition to promoting the reactivation of tectonic structures, exerts a lubricating effect on regional faults and fractures, and may act as a facilitator or inducer of regional earthquake

St. Patrick’s Day 2015 geomagnetic storm analysis based on Real Time Ionosphere Monitoring

A detailed analysis is presented for the days in March, 2015 surrounding St. Patrick’s Day 2015 geomagnetic storm, based on the existing real-time and near real-time ionospheric models (global or regional) within the group, which are mainly based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and ionosonde data. For this purpose, a variety of ionospheric parameters is considered, including Total Electron Content (TEC), F2 layer critical frequency (foF2), F2 layer peak (hmF2), bottomside halfthickness (B0) and ionospheric disturbance W-index. Also, ionospheric high-frequency perturbations such as Travelling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs), scintillations and the impact of solar flares facing the Earth will be presented to derive a clear picture of the ionospheric dynamicsPostprint (published version

Challenges of Global-Scale Ionospheric Tomography using GNSS: A brief overview

This work provides a brief overview of the main challenges found by the author when developing a global ionospheric electron density estimation using tomography and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data