scholarly journals Derivation of global ionospheric Sporadic E critical frequency ( f o Es) data from the amplitude variations in GPS/GNSS radio occultations

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 200320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingkun Yu ◽  
Christopher J. Scott ◽  
Xianghui Xue ◽  
Xinan Yue ◽  
Xiankang Dou
Keyword(s):  
Critical Frequency ◽  
Detection Threshold ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Satellite Mission ◽  
Frequency Detection ◽  
Sporadic E ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

The ionospheric sporadic E (Es) layer has a significant impact on the global positioning system (GPS)/global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals. These influences on the GPS/GNSS signals can also be used to study the occurrence and characteristics of the Es layer on a global scale. In this paper, 5.8 million radio occultation (RO) profiles from the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellite mission and ground-based observations of Es layers recorded by 25 ionospheric monitoring stations and held at the UK Solar System Data Centre at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the Chinese Meridian Project were used to derive the hourly Es critical frequency ( f o Es) data. The global distribution of f o Es with a high spatial resolution shows a strong seasonal variation in f o Es with a summer maximum exceeding 4.0 MHz and a winter minimum between 2.0 and 2.5 MHz. The GPS/GNSS RO technique is an important tool that can provide global estimates of Es layers, augmenting the limited coverage and low-frequency detection threshold of ground-based instruments. Attention should be paid to small f o Es values from ionosondes near the instrumental detection limits corresponding to minimum frequencies in the range 1.28–1.60 MHz.

Derivation of metallic plasma layers in Earth's ionosphere (Sporadic E layer) from FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites at a global scale

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingkun Yu ◽  
Christopher Scott ◽  
Xianghui Xue ◽  
Xinan Yue ◽  
Xiankang Dou
Keyword(s):  
Radio Occultation ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Scintillation Index ◽  
Navigation Satellite ◽  
The Past ◽  
Successful Launch ◽  
Sporadic E Layer ◽  
Sporadic E ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

<p>In the past decades, the scintillations of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) measurements have been widely employed to study the occurrence of sporadic E (Es) layers. Recent results indicated that amplitude scintillation index (S4max) observations can be used to study the intensity of global Es layers. In this study, we show a statistical assessment of the hourly ionospheric Es layer measurements between 90 and 130 km from FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites. The Es observations from FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites are in agreement with those from ground-based ionosonde stations at different latitudes. With the successful launch of FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2, an accurate, high-resolution (< 5° ×5°×1 hour) map of Es layers on a global scale is available in the hopeful future.</p>

scholarly journals From GPS Receiver to GNSS Reflectometry Payload Development for the Triton Satellite Mission

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 999
Author(s):  
Yung-Fu Tsai ◽  
Wen-Hao Yeh ◽  
Jyh-Ching Juang ◽  
Dian-Syuan Yang ◽  
Chen-Tsung Lin
Keyword(s):  
Satellite System ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Export Control ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Gps Receiver ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Satellite Mission ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Gnss Reflectometry ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

The global positioning system (GPS) receiver has been one of the most important navigation systems for more than two decades. Although the GPS system was originally designed for near-Earth navigation, currently it is widely used in highly dynamic environments (such as low Earth orbit (LEO)). A space-capable GPS receiver (GPSR) is capable of providing timing and navigation information for spacecraft to determine the orbit and synchronize the onboard timing; therefore, it is one of the essential components of modern spacecraft. However, a space-grade GPSR is technology-sensitive and under export control. In order to overcome export control, the National Space Organization (NSPO) in Taiwan completed the development of a self-reliant space-grade GPSR in 2014. The NSPO GPSR, built in-house, has passed its qualification tests and is ready to fly onboard the Triton satellite. In addition to providing navigation, the GPS/global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is facilitated to many remote sensing missions, such as GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO) and GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R). Based on the design of the NSPO GPSR, the NSPO is actively engaged in the development of the Triton program (a GNSS reflectometry mission). In a GNSS-R mission, the reflected signals are processed to form delay Doppler maps (DDMs) so that various properties (including ocean surface roughness, vegetation, soil moisture, and so on) can be retrieved. This paper describes not only the development of the NSPO GPSR but also the design, development, and special features of the Triton’s GNSS-R mission. Moreover, in order to verify the NSPO GNSS-R receiver, ground/flight tests are deemed essential. Then, data analyses of the airborne GNSS-R tests are presented in this paper.

scholarly journals Quality Improvement of Satellite Soil Moisture Products by Fusing with In-Situ Measurements and GNSS-R Estimates in the Western Continental U.S.

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongzhang Xu ◽  
Qiangqiang Yuan ◽  
Tongwen Li ◽  
Huanfeng Shen ◽  
Liangpei Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Generalized Regression Neural Network ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Microwave Sensors ◽  
Surface Fusion

Soil moisture is a key component of the water cycle budget. Sensing soil moisture using microwave sensors onboard satellites is an effective way to retrieve surface soil moisture (SSM) at a global scale, but the retrieval accuracy in some regions is inadequate due to the complicated factors influencing the general retrieval process. On the other hand, monitoring soil moisture directly through in-situ devices is capable of providing high-accuracy SSM measurements, but the distribution of such stations is sparse. Recently, the Global Navigation Satellite System interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-R) method was used to derive field-scale SSM, which can serve as a supplement to contemporary sparse in-situ soil moisture networks. On this basis, it is of great research significance to explore the fusion of these different kinds of SSM data, so as to improve the present satellite SSM products with regard to their data accuracy. In this paper, a multi-source point-surface fusion method based on the generalized regression neural network (GRNN) model is applied to fuse the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Level 3 radiometer SSM daily product with in-situ measured and GNSS-R estimated SSM data from five soil moisture networks in the western continental U.S. The results show that the GRNN model obtains a fairly good performance, with a cross-validation R value of approximately 0.9 and a ubRMSE of 0.044 cm3 cm−3. Furthermore, the fused SSM product agrees well with the site-specific SSM data in terms of time and space, which demonstrates that the proposed GRNN model is able to construct the non-linear relationship between the point- and surface-scale SSM.

scholarly journals Spaceborne GNSS-R Observation of Global Lake Level: First Results from the TechDemoSat-1 Mission

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liwen Xu ◽  
Wei Wan ◽  
Xiuwan Chen ◽  
Siyu Zhu ◽  
Baojian Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite System ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Lake Levels ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
First Results ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Inland Water Bodies ◽  
First Time

Spaceborne global navigation satellite system reflectometry (GNSS-R) data collected by the UK TechDemoSat-1 (TDS-1) satellite is applied to retrieve global lake levels for the first time. Lake levels of 351 global lakes (area greater than 500 km2 and elevation lower than 3000 m each) are estimated using TDS-1 Level 1b data over 2015–2017. Strong correlations (overall R2 greater than 0.95) are observed among lake levels derived from TDS-1 and other altimetry satellites such as CryoSat-2, Jason, and Envisat (the latter two are collected by Hydroweb), although with large root-mean-square error (RMSE) (tens of meters) mainly due to the fact that TDS-1 is not dedicated for altimetry measuring purpose. Examples of the Caspian Sea and the Poyang Lake show consistent spatial and temporal variations between TDS-1 and other data sources. The results in this paper provide supportive information for further application of GNSS-R constellations to measure altimetry of inland water bodies.

scholarly journals GNSS/INS-Equipped Buoys for Altimetry Validation: Lessons Learnt and New Directions from the Bass Strait Validation Facility

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 3001
Author(s):  
Boye Zhou ◽  
Christopher Watson ◽  
Benoit Legresy ◽  
Matt A. King ◽  
Jack Beardsley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Navigation System ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
External Forcing ◽  
Empirical Correction ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Ocean Topography ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Systematic Noise

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-equipped buoys have a fundamental role in the validation of satellite altimetry. Requirements to validate next generation altimeter missions are demanding and call for a greater understanding of the systematic errors associated with the buoy approach. In this paper, we assess the present-day buoy precision using archived data from the Bass Strait validation facility. We explore potential improvements in buoy precision by addressing two previously ignored issues: changes to buoyancy as a function of external forcing, and biases induced by platform dynamics. Our results indicate the precision of our buoy against in situ mooring data is ~15 mm, with a ~8.5 mm systematic noise floor. Investigation into the tether tension effect on buoyancy showed strong correlation between currents, wind stress and buoy-against-mooring residuals. Our initial empirical correction achieved a reduction of 5 mm in the standard deviation of the residuals, with a 51% decrease in variance over low frequency bands. Corrections associated with platform orientation from an Inertial Navigation System (INS) unit showed centimetre-level magnitude and are expected to be higher under rougher sea states. Finally, we conclude with further possible improvements to meet validation requirements for the future Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission.

SO2 volcanic clouds detected from space: a new database

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Yves Tournigand ◽  
Valeria Cigala ◽  
Mohammed Hammouti ◽  
Fred Prata ◽  
Hugues Brenot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Aircraft Engine ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Satellite Monitoring ◽  
Volcanic Clouds ◽  
Sensor Cloud ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Temporal Dispersion

<p>Explosive volcanic eruptions can generate ash and SO<sub>2</sub> clouds rising to the stratosphere and dispersing on a global scale. Such volcanic features are at the origin of many hazards including aircraft engine damages, ash fallouts, acid rains, short-term climate changes and health threats. It is thus crucial to monitor volcanic clouds altitude and dispersion over time in order to prevent these hazards. In the past decades, satellite monitoring techniques have proven to be efficient at detecting volcanic aerosols in the atmosphere. In particular the detection of SO<sub>2</sub> (e.g. IASI, AIRS, GOME-2) spatial and temporal dispersion and altitude (e.g. CALIOP). However, satellite data are scattered amongst the different institutes and agencies acquiring and processing them, and their retrieval is time-consuming.</p><p>In this study, we are building a whole new database gathering SO<sub>2 </sub>volcanic cloud altitude and dispersion data of 12 VEI 4 volcanic eruptions from 2008 to 2019. The spatial and temporal dispersion is retrieved from AIRS, IASI and GOME-2 sensors, as well as from collocated backscatter data of CALIOP sensor. Cloud altitude estimations are retrieved based on IASI, CALIOP and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) data when available. Besides, GNSS RO atmospheric profiles collocated with the other sensors at 12h temporal window and 0.2° spatial window, will be included. For the first time a dataset gathering several of the primary sensors used to monitor volcanic clouds and new ones will be freely available. Such new tool provides direct access to volcanic clouds data, and enables to perform original analysis and comparisons between different techniques. Applications for this dataset will impact many fields of volcanology and atmospheric physics, including but not restricted to volcanic clouds dispersal numerical modelling and volcanic aerosol impact on the atmosphere and climate. In fact, the collocation with GNSS RO will allow the study of the atmospheric structure with high vertical resolution.</p>

scholarly journals Estimating ocean tide loading displacements with GPS and GLONASS

Solid Earth ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1849-1863
Author(s):  
Bogdan Matviichuk ◽  
Matt King ◽  
Christopher Watson
Keyword(s):  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Ocean Tide ◽  
Ground Displacement ◽  
Ocean Tide Loading ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Tidal Constituents ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

Abstract. Ground displacements due to ocean tide loading have previously been successfully observed using Global Positioning System (GPS) data, and such estimates for the principal lunar M2 constituent have been used to infer the rheology and structure of the asthenosphere. The GPS orbital repeat period is close to that of several other major tidal constituents (K1, K2, S2); thus, GPS estimates of ground displacement at these frequencies are subject to GPS systematic errors. We assess the addition of GLONASS (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System) to increase the accuracy and reliability of eight major ocean tide loading constituents: four semi-diurnal (M2, S2, N2, K2) and four diurnal constituents (K1, O1, P1, Q1). We revisit a previous GPS study, focusing on 21 sites in the UK and western Europe, expanding it with an assessment of GLONASS and GPS+GLONASS estimates. In the region, both GPS and GLONASS data have been abundant since 2010.0. We therefore focus on the period 2010.0–2014.0, a span considered long enough to reliably estimate the major constituents. Data were processed with a kinematic precise point positioning (PPP) strategy to produce site coordinate time series for each of three different modes: GPS, GLONASS and GPS+GLONASS. The GPS solution with ambiguities resolved was used as a baseline for performance assessment of the additional modes. GPS+GLONASS shows very close agreement with ambiguity resolved GPS for lunar constituents (M2, N2, O1, Q1) but with substantial differences for solar-related constituents (S2, K2, K1, P1), with solutions including GLONASS being generally closer to model estimates. While no single constellation mode performs best for all constituents and components, we propose to use a combination of constellation modes to recover tidal parameters: GPS+GLONASS for most constituents, except for K2 and K1 where GLONASS (north and up) and GPS with ambiguities resolved (east) perform best.

scholarly journals The 2018–2019 seismo-volcanic crisis east of Mayotte, Comoros islands: seismicity and ground deformation markers of an exceptional submarine eruption

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Lemoine ◽  
Pierre Briole ◽  
Didier Bertil ◽  
Agathe Roullé ◽  
Michael Foumelis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Deformation ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Harmonic Oscillation ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
First Year ◽  
Secondary Source ◽  
Magma Intrusion ◽  
Volcanic Event ◽  
Volcanic Islands ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

SUMMARY On 10 May 2018, an unprecedented long and intense seismic crisis started offshore, east of Mayotte, the easternmost of the Comoros volcanic islands. The population felt hundreds of events. Over the course of 1 yr, 32 earthquakes with magnitude greater than 5 occurred, including the largest event ever recorded in the Comoros (Mw = 5.9 on 15 May 2018). Earthquakes are clustered in space and time. Unusual intense long lasting monochromatic very long period events were also registered. From early July 2018, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) registered a large drift, testimony of a large offshore deflation. We describe the onset and the evolution of a large magmatic event thanks to the analysis of the seismicity from the initiation of the crisis through its first year, compared to the ground deformation observation (GNSS and InSAR) and modelling. We discriminate and characterize the initial fracturing phase, the phase of magma intrusion and dyke propagation from depth to the subsurface, and the eruptive phase that starts on 3 July 2018, around 50 d after the first seismic events. The eruption is not terminated 2 yr after its initiation, with the persistence of an unusual seismicity, whose pattern has been similar since summer 2018, including episodic very low frequency events presenting a harmonic oscillation with a period of ∼16 s. From July 2018, the whole Mayotte Island drifted eastward and downward at a slightly increasing rate until reaching a peak in late 2018. At the apex, the mean deformation rate was 224 mm yr−1 eastward and 186 mm yr−1 downward. During 2019, the deformation smoothly decreased and in January 2020, it was less than 20 per cent of its peak value. A deflation model of a magma reservoir buried in a homogenous half space fits well the data. The modelled reservoir is located 45 ± 5 km east of Mayotte, at a depth of 28 ± 3 km and the inferred magma extraction at the apex was ∼94 m3 s−1. The introduction of a small secondary source located beneath Mayotte Island at the same depth as the main one improves the fit by 20 per cent. While the rate of the main source drops by a factor of 5 during 2019, the rate of the secondary source remains stable. This might be a clue of the occurrence of relaxation at depth that may continue for some time after the end of the eruption. According to our model, the total volume extracted from the deep reservoir was ∼2.65 km3 in January 2020. This is the largest offshore volcanic event ever quantitatively documented. This seismo-volcanic crisis is consistent with the trans-tensional regime along Comoros archipelago.

GNSS Sky Visibility Planning and Dilution of Precision Analysis for EOS Ground Station Selection for Nigeria Space Programme

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-93
Author(s):  
M. L. Ojigi ◽  
J. D. Dodo ◽  
Y. D. Opaluwa
Keyword(s):  
Geodetic Network ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Precision Analysis ◽  
Observation Window ◽  
Dilution Of Precision ◽  
Ground Station ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Total Control ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

The establishment of Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) ground receiving stations in parts of Nigeria and other parts of the globe, similar to the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) model will enhance global telecommand, precise EOS tracking, data transmission, and distribution of NigeriaSat data, which will enhance global-scale data awareness, usage and higher financial returns for Nigeria. This study, therefore, attempts the application of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sky visibility planning and dilution of precision analysis technique to select the optimal location for EOS ground station(s) in Nigeria. The Nigerian Geodetic Network (NigNet) GNSS Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) RINEX data of February 2012 and Trimble Total Control (TTC) software were used for the determinations of the baselines and positions of the 11 available CORS. The technique of GNSS sky visibility planning and dilution of precision (DOP) was adopted because signals from satellites behave in a similar pattern in the atmosphere, so poor visibility in GNSS signals in a particular observation window translates relatively to poor orbit definition signal for an EOS. Based on Jon's rating of DOP values [1= ideal; 2-3 = excellent; 4-6 =good; 7-8= moderate; 9-20=fair; 21-50= poor)], the DOP values for the stations across Nigeria can be adjudged to range between excellent and good for ground receiving stations. However, the overall results showed that GEMB on ellipsoidal heights of 1795.7857m has the most suitable DOPs and sky visibility plan for ground receiving sites followed by CGG Toro (916.7853m) and RAMPOLY Maiduguri (702m). The sky visibility analysis showed the availability of an average of 9 GPS and 2 GLONASS constellation satellites to receivers at elevation angles of 10°-15° between 6:00hrs and 24:00hrs daily across Nigeria. The approach of OS ground receiving station suitability analysts demonstrated in this study is recommended for the Nigerian. La mise en place de stations de réception au sol par satellite d'observation de la Terre (EOS) dans certaines parties du Nigeria et d'autres parties du globe, similaires au modèle indien de télédétection (IRS) améliorera la télécommande mondiale, le suivi EOS précis, la transmission de données et la distribution des données NigeriaSat. , ce qui améliorera la connaissance et l'utilisation des données à l'échelle mondiale et des rendements financiers plus élevés pour le Nigéria. Cette étude tente donc d'appliquer la planification de la visibilité du ciel du système mondial de navigation par satellite (GNSS) et la dilution de la technique d'analyse de précision pour sélectionner l'emplacement optimal pour la ou les stations au sol EOS au Nigéria. Les données RINEX des stations de référence en fonctionnement continu (CORS) du réseau géodésique nigérian (NigNet) GNSS de février 2012 et le logiciel Trimble Total Control (TTC) ont été utilisés pour déterminer les lignes de base et les positions des 11 CORS disponibles. La technique de planification de la visibilité du ciel GNSS et de dilution de la précision (DOP) a été adoptée car les signaux des satellites se comportent de manière similaire dans l'atmosphère, de sorte qu'une mauvaise visibilité des signaux GNSS dans une fenêtre d'observation particulière se traduit par un signal de définition d'orbite médiocre pour un EOS. . Basé sur l'évaluation des valeurs DOP de Jon [1 = idéal ; 2-3 = excellent ; 4-6 = bon ; 7-8= modéré ; 9-20=juste ; 21-50 = pauvre)], les valeurs DOP pour les stations à travers le Nigeria peuvent être estimées entre excellentes et bonnes pour les stations de réception au sol. Cependant, les résultats globaux ont montré que GEMB sur des hauteurs ellipsoïdales de 1795,7857m a les DOP et le plan de visibilité du ciel les plus appropriés pour les sites de réception au sol, suivis de CGG Toro (916,7853m) et RAMPOLY Maiduguri (702m). L'analyse de la visibilité du ciel a montré la disponibilité d'une moyenne de 9 satellites GPS et 2 satellites de la constellation GLONASS aux récepteurs à des angles d'élévation de 10° à 15° entre 6h00 et 24h00 tous les jours à travers le Nigeria. L'approche des analystes de l'adéquation des stations de réception au sol OS démontrée dans cette étude est recommandée pour le Nigérian.

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