Mid-Latitude Amplitude Scintillations of GPS Signals and GPS Failures at the Auroral Oval Boundary

Analyzing ionospheric effects of magnetic storms on July 15, 2000 and September 26, 2001, we show that a region with intense small-scale electron density irregularities emerges in the main phase of magnetic storms on the southern boundary of the auroral oval as it expands to the mid-latitudes. This assumption is supported by the presence of powerful backscattering signals recorded on July 15, 2000 by the incoherent-scatter radars in the eastern and western hemispheres. Such irregularities cause strong scintillations of signals of the navigation Global Positioning System (GPS), which leads to a breakdown of signal tracking and an increase in the positioning errors of the GPS.

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