Mid-latitude amplitude scintillation of GPS signals and GPS performance slips at the auroral oval boundary

Abstract Degradation of transionospheric radio signals and operation failures during ionospheric disturbances constitute a crucial factor of space weather influence on radio engineering satellite systems performance. We found that during the main phase of strong magnetic storms in 2000–2003 when the auroral oval expands into mid-latitudes, its southern boundary develops a region with intense small-scale electron density irregularities. Such irregularities may cause strong amplitude scintillations of GPS signals at both GPS operating frequencies. The another consequence of it was significant random GPS signal phase fluctuations, breaking-down of signal tracking, and sharp increasing of GPS positioning errors as a result.

[1]  P. S. Jorgensen.  Ionospheric Measurements from Navstar Satellites , 1978 .

[2]  Characterisation of Narrowband HF Channels in the Mid and Low Latitude Ionosphere , 2006 .

[3]  I. I. Ushakov,et al.  Geomagnetic storms and the occurrence of phase slips in the reception of GPS signals , 2002 .

[4]  Anthony J. Mannucci,et al.  A global mapping technique for GPS‐derived ionospheric total electron content measurements , 1998 .

[5]  J. Aarons,et al.  Global morphology of ionospheric scintillations , 1971, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[6]  B. Ledvina,et al.  First observations of intense GPS L1 amplitude scintillations at midlatitude , 2002 .

[7]  Cathryn N. Mitchell,et al.  An Investigation into the Relationship between Ionospheric Scintillation and Loss of Lock in GNSS Receivers , 2006 .

[8]  O. I. Berngardt,et al.  Mid-Latitude Amplitude Scintillations of GPS Signals and GPS Failures at the Auroral Oval Boundary , 2004 .

[9]  C. Hegarty,et al.  Modeling the effects of ionospheric scintillation on GPS/Satellite‐Based Augmentation System availability , 2003 .

[10]  K. Yeh,et al.  Radio wave scintillations in the ionosphere , 1982 .

[11]  Yuei-An Liou,et al.  Amplitude variations in GPS signals as a possible indicator of ionospheric structures , 2004 .

[12]  S. Skone,et al.  Limitations in GPS receiver tracking performance under ionospheric scintillation conditions , 2001 .

[13]  V. V. Demyanov,et al.  Degradation of GPS performance in geomagnetically disturbed conditions , 2002 .

[14]  John A. Klobuchar,et al.  Ionospheric Scintillation Effects in the Equatorial and Auroral Regions , 2000 .

[15]  R. Crane,et al.  Ionospheric scintillation , 1977, Proceedings of the IEEE.