M. Gende

A New Ionosphere Monitoring Technology Based on GPS

Although global positioning system (GPS) was originally planned as a satellite-based radio-navigation system for military purposes, civilian users have significantly increased their access to the system for both, commercial and scientific applications. Almost 400 permanent GPS tracking stations have been stablished around the globe with the main purpose of supporting scientific research. In addition, several GPS receivers on board of low Earth orbit satellites fitted with special antennas that focus on Earths horizon, are tracking the radio signals broadcasted by the high-orbiting GPS satellites, as they rise and set on Earth horizon. The data of these ground and space-born GPS receivers, readily accessible through Internet in a ‘virtual observatory’ managed by the International GPS Service, are extensively used for many researches and might possibly ignite a revolution in Earth remote sensing.By measuring the changes in the time it takes for the GPS signals to arrive at the receiver as they travel through Earths atmosphere, scientists can derive a surprising amount of information about the Earths ionosphere, a turbulent shroud of charged particles that, when stimulated by solar flares, can disrupt communications around the world. This contribution presents a methodology to obtain high temporal resolution images of the ionospheric electron content that lead to two-dimensional vertical total electron content maps and three-dimensional electron density distribution. Some exemplifying results are shown at the end of the paper.

Ionospheric response to the 2009 sudden stratospheric warming over the equatorial, low, and middle latitudes in the South American sector

The present study investigates the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) and F-layer response in the Southern Hemisphere equatorial, low, and middle latitudes due to major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event, which took place during January–February 2009 in the Northern Hemisphere. In this study, using 17 ground-based dual frequency GPS stations and two ionosonde stations spanning latitudes from 2.8°N to 53.8°S, longitudes from 36.7°W to 67.8°W over the South American sector, it is observed that the ionosphere was significantly disturbed by the SSW event from the equator to the midlatitudes. During day of year 26 and 27 at 14:00 UT, the TEC was two times larger than that observed during average quiet days. The vertical TEC at all 17 GPS and two ionosonde stations shows significant deviations lasting for several days after the SSW temperature peak. Using one GPS station located at Rio Grande (53.8°S, 67.8°W, midlatitude South America sector), it is reported for the first time that the midlatitude in the Southern Hemisphere was disturbed by the SSW event in the Northern Hemisphere.

Day-to-day variability of Equatorial Electrojet and its role on the day-to-day characteristics of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly over the Indian and Brazilian sectors†

The equatorial electrojet (EEJ) is a narrow band of current flowing eastward at the ionospheric E region altitudes along the dayside dip equator. Mutually perpendicular electric and magnetic fields over the equator results in the formation of equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), which in turn generates large electron density variabilities. Simultaneous study on the characteristics of EEJ and EIA is necessary to understand the role of EEJ on the EIA variabilities. This is helpful for the improved estimation of total electron content (TEC) and range delays required for satellite-based communication and navigation applications. Present study reports simultaneous variations of EEJ and GPS-TEC over Indian and Brazilian sectors to understand the role of EEJ on the day-to-day characteristics of the EIA. Magnetometer measurements during the low solar activity year 2004 are used to derive the EEJ values over the two different sectors. The characteristics of EIA are studied using two different chains of GPS receivers along the common meridian of 77°E (India) and 45°W (Brazil). The diurnal, seasonal, and day-to-day variations of EEJ and TEC are described simultaneously. Variations of EIA during different seasons are presented along with the variations of the EEJ in the two hemispheres. The role of EEJ variations on the characteristic features of the EIA such as the strength and temporal extent of the EIA crest has also been reported. Further, the time delay between the occurrences of the day maximum EEJ and the well-developed EIA is studied and corresponding results are presented in this paper.

Improving SIRGAS Ionospheric Model

The IAG Sub-Commission 1.3b, SIRGAS (Sistema de Referencia Geocentrico para las Americas), operates a service for computing regional ionospheric maps based on GNSS observations from its Continuously Operating Network (SIRGAS-CON). The ionospheric model used by SIRGAS (named La Plata Ionopsheric Model, LPIM), has continuously evolved from a “thin layer” simplification for computing the vTEC distribution to a formulation that approximates the electron density (ED) distributions of the E, F1, F2 and top-side ionospheric layers.

Regional Model to Estimate Vertical Deformations Due to Loading Seasonal Changes

Surface mass transfer produces changes in the terrestrial geometric reference frame that are clearly detectable by GNSS techniques. These deformations are mainly observed in the vertical coordinate component and show periodic behavior with seasonal cycles. Therefore, the assumption that the kinematics of the reference frame has a linear behavior is no longer sufficient.This study focuses on a model of crustal vertical deformations caused by surface loading variations in the South American region. Thirty-four locations were analyzed in order to adjust a parametric exponential function that relates height changes with mass pressure variations.This parametric function depends on regional rheological properties. Crustal deformations were characterized using multi-annual GPS time series provided by SIRGAS and the surface loading information was derived from GRACE spherical harmonic coefficients provided by GRGS (Release 2). The proposed parametric model was able to properly reproduce inter-annual variations observed in vertical displacement in a 9-year time-span (2003–2012). This study will contribute to a better understanding the kinematics of the reference frame and the elastic parameters on a regional scale.

Differential and Precise Point Positioning in the South American Region with lonosphere Maps

This paper presents two strategies for improving GPS coordinate solutions using regional ionosphere maps in South America, a region susceptible to strong ionospheric activity.