Geodetic satellite Doppler positioning and application to Canadian test adjustments

During 1974- 6, the Geodetic Survey of Canada established a geodetic control network with spacing between points of about 200-500 km with the use of the satellite-Doppler method. For this application, a unique observation strategy and Doppler data reduction procedures have been developed, by using both precise and broadcast satellite ephemerides. The satellite-Doppler geodetic control has contributed greatly to the readjustment of the Canadian triangulation network, in particular to the datum orientation and positioning. The results have also been useful for geoid studies in Canada. Continuous satellite-Doppler tracking from the two Canadian Tranet stations provides additional information on polar motion and long-term variations of the satellite system, which are important for monitoring and maintaining the related geodetic datum.

1988 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 199-207
Author(s):  
William H. Wooden

For more than a dozen years, Doppler tracking of the Navy Navigation Satellite System (NNSS) has demonstrated the ability to give solutions for polar motion as a byproduct of precise ephemerides generation. The polar motion estimation process at the Defense Mapping Agency is reviewed and comparisons of the Doppler results with the polar motion series of the newer observational techniques and the Bureau International de l'Heure (BIH) Circular-D are made. This paper extends the analyses and comparisons done during the MERIT Main Campaign for one additional Chandler period.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Nakashima ◽  
Oshin Vartanian ◽  
Shawn G Rhind ◽  
Kristen King ◽  
Catherine Tenn ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Introduction Recently, there has been increasing concern about the adverse health effects of long-term occupational exposure to low-level blast in military personnel. Occupational blast exposure occurs routinely in garrison through use of armaments and controlled blast detonations. In the current study, we focused on a population of breaching instructors and range staff. Breaching is a tactical technique that is used to gain entry into closed spaces, often through the use of explosives. Materials and Methods Initial measurements of blast overpressure collected during breaching courses found that up to 10% of the blasts for range staff and up to 32% of the blasts for instructors exceeded the recommended 3 psi exposure limit. Using a cross-sectional design, we used tests of balance, ataxia, and hearing to compare a sample of breachers (n = 19) to age-and sex-matched military controls (n = 19). Results There were no significant differences between the two groups on the balance and ataxia tests, although the average scores of both groups were lower than would be expected in a normative population. The prevalence of hearing loss was low in the breacher group (4 of 19), and hearing thresholds were not significantly different from the controls. However, the prevalence of self-reported tinnitus was significantly higher in the breacher group (12 of 19) compared with the controls (4 of 19), and all breachers who were identified as having hearing loss also reported tinnitus. Conclusions Our results suggest that basic tests of balance, ataxia, and hearing on their own were not sensitive to the effects of long-term occupational exposure to low-level blast. Some of the blast exposure levels exceeded limits, and there was a significant association of exposure with tinnitus. Future studies should supplement with additional information including exposure history and functional hearing assessments. These findings should be considered in the design of future acute and longitudinal studies of low-level blast exposure.


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Spada ◽  
Gaia Galassi ◽  
Marco Olivieri

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Cao ◽  
Hengnian Li

A new set of linearized differential equations governing relative motion of inner-formation satellite system (IFSS) is derived with the effects of J2 as well as atmospheric drag. The IFSS consists of the “inner satellite” and the “outer satellite,” this special configuration formation endows its some advantages to map the gravity field of earth. For long-term IFSS in elliptical orbit, the high-fidelity set of linearized equations is more convenient than the nonlinear equations for designing formation control system or navigation algorithms. In addition, to avoid the collision between the inner satellite and the outer satellite, the minimum sliding mode error feedback control (MSMEFC) is adopted to perform a real-time control on the outer satellite in the presence of uncertain perturbations from the system and space. The robustness and steady-state error of MSMEFC are also discussed to show its theoretical advantages than traditional sliding mode control (SMC). Finally, numerical simulations are performed to check the fidelity of the proposed equations. Moreover, the efficacy of the MSMEFC is performed to control the IFSS with high precision.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 2445-2461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiko Kuze ◽  
Hiroshi Suto ◽  
Kei Shiomi ◽  
Shuji Kawakami ◽  
Makoto Tanaka ◽  
...  

Abstract. A data set containing more than 6 years (February 2009 to present) of radiance spectra for carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) observations has been acquired by the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT, available at http://data.gosat.nies.go.jp/GosatUserInterfaceGateway/guig/GuigPage/open.do), nicknamed “Ibuki”, Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observation Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS). This paper provides updates on the performance of the satellite and TANSO-FTS sensor and describes important changes to the data product, which has recently been made available to users. With these changes the typical accuracy of retrieved column-averaged dry air mole fractions of CO2 and CH4 (XCO2 and XCH4, respectively) are 2 ppm or 0.5 % and 13 ppb or 0.7 %, respectively. Three major anomalies of the satellite system affecting TANSO-FTS are reported: a failure of one of the two solar paddles in May 2014, a switch to the secondary pointing system in January 2015, and most recently a cryocooler shutdown and restart in August 2015. The Level 1A (L1A) (raw interferogram) and the Level 1B (L1B) (radiance spectra) of version V201 described here have long-term uniform quality and provide consistent retrieval accuracy even after the satellite system anomalies. In addition, we discuss the unique observation abilities of GOSAT made possible by an agile pointing mechanism, which allows for optimization of global sampling patterns.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Hill ◽  
Juan P. Guerschman

Vegetation Fractional Cover (VFC) is an important global indicator of land cover change, land use practice and landscape, and ecosystem function. In this study, we present the Global Vegetation Fractional Cover Product (GVFCP) and explore the levels and trends in VFC across World Grassland Type (WGT) Ecoregions considering variation associated with Global Livestock Production Systems (GLPS). Long-term average levels and trends in fractional cover of photosynthetic vegetation (FPV), non-photosynthetic vegetation (FNPV), and bare soil (FBS) are mapped, and variation among GLPS types within WGT Divisions and Ecoregions is explored. Analysis also focused on the savanna-woodland WGT Formations. Many WGT Divisions showed wide variation in long-term average VFC and trends in VFC across GLPS types. Results showed large areas of many ecoregions experiencing significant positive and negative trends in VFC. East Africa, Patagonia, and the Mitchell Grasslands of Australia exhibited large areas of negative trends in FNPV and positive trends FBS. These trends may reflect interactions between extended drought, heavy livestock utilization, expanded agriculture, and other land use changes. Compared to previous studies, explicit measurement of FNPV revealed interesting additional information about vegetation cover and trends in many ecoregions. The Australian and Global products are available via the GEOGLAM RAPP (Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring Rangeland and Pasture Productivity) website, and the scientific community is encouraged to utilize the data and contribute to improved validation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Higginbotham

The field of neurosurgery has always been propelled by the adoption of novel technologies to improve practice. Although advancements have occurred in the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term outcomes of patients, these have not translated to global patient benefit. Up to five million people each year do not have access to safe and affordable neurosurgical interventions, and those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected. Current approaches to increase neurosurgical capacity are unlikely to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals target by 2030, and many of the most successful programs have been disrupted by the travel restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is therefore a pressing need for creative virtual solutions. An area of growing relevance is the use of immersive technologies: virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). AR allows additional information to be superimposed onto the surgeon's visual field, thus enhancing intra-operative visualization. This can be used for remote tele-proctoring, whereby an experienced surgeon can virtually assist with a procedure regardless of geographical location. Expert guidance can therefore be given to both neurosurgical trainees and non-neurosurgical practitioners, further facilitating the growing practice of neurosurgical task-shifting in LMICs. VR simulation is another useful tool in remote neurosurgical training, with the potential to reduce the learning curve of complex procedures whilst conserving supplies in low-resource settings. The adoption of immersive technologies into practice is therefore a promising approach for achieving global neurosurgical equity, whilst adapting to the long-term disruptions of the pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Munekane

AbstractLong-term deformation of Kusatsu-Shirane and Asama volcanoes in central Japan were investigated using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements. Large postseismic deformation caused by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake—which obscures the long-term volcanic deformation—was effectively removed by approximating the postseismic and other recent tectonic deformation in terms of quadrature of the geographical eastings/northings. Subsequently, deformation source parameters were estimated by the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method and linear inversion, employing an analytical model that calculates the deformation from an arbitrary oriented prolate/oblate spheroid. The deformation source of Kusatsu-Shirane volcano was found to be a sill-like oblate spheroid located a few kilometers northwest of the Yugama crater at a depth of approximately 4 $$\text {km}$$ km , while that of Asama was also estimated to be a sill-like oblate spheroid beneath the western flank of the edifice at a depth of approximately 12 $$\text {km}$$ km , along with the previously reported shallow east–west striking dike at a depth of approximately 1 $$\text {km}$$ km . It was revealed that (1) volume changes of the Kusatsu-Shirane deformation source and the shallow deformation source of Asama were correlated with the volcanic activities of the corresponding volcanoes, and (2) the Asama deep source has been steadily losing volume, which may indicate that the volcano will experience fewer eruptions in the near future.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zilong Shen ◽  
Jing Peng ◽  
Wenxiang Liu ◽  
Feixue Wang ◽  
Shibing Zhu ◽  
...  

As a sensor for standalone position and velocity determination, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) receiver is becoming an important part of the intelligent logistics systems under rapid development in China. The applications in the mass market urgently require the BDS receivers to improve the performance of such functions, that is, shorter Time to First Fix (TTFF) and faster navigation signal acquisition speed with Ephemeris Extension (EE) in standalone mode. As a practical way to improve such functions of the Assisted BDS (A-BDS) receivers without the need for specialized hardware support, a Self-Assisted First-Fix (SAFF) method with medium- and long-term EE is proposed in this paper. In this SAFF method, the dynamic Medium- and Long-Term Orbit Prediction (MLTOP) method, which uses the historical broadcast ephemeris data with the optimal configuration of the dynamic models and orbit fitting time interval, is utilized to generate the extended ephemeris. To demonstrate the performance of the MLTOP method used in the SAFF method, a suit of tests, which were based on the real data of broadcast ephemeris and precise ephemeris, were carried out. In terms of the positioning accuracy, the overall performance of the SAFF method is illustrated. Based on the characteristics of the medium- and long-term EE, the simulation tests for the SAFF method were conducted. Results show that, for the SAFF method with medium- and long-term EE of the BeiDou MEO/IGSO satellites, the horizontal positioning accuracy is about 12 meters, and the overall positioning accuracy is about 25 meters. The results also indicate that, for the BeiDou satellites with different orbit types, the optimal configurations of the MLTOP method are different.


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