Satellite‐based augmentation systems: A novel and cost‐effective tool for ionospheric and space weather studies

Abstract

Satellite‐Based Augmentation Systems (SBASes) are designed to provide additional accuracy and robustness to existing satellite‐based radio navigation systems for all phases of a flight. However, similar to navigation systems such as GPS which has proven its worth for the investigation of the ionosphere, the SBASes do have certain advantages. In the present paper, we propose and demonstrate SBAS applicability to ionospheric and space weather research in a novel and cost‐effective way. The recent commissioning of the Indian SBAS, named GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN), covering the equatorial and low‐latitude regions centered around the Indian longitudes provides the motivation for this approach. Two case studies involving different ionospheric behavior over low‐latitude regions vindicate the potential of SBAS over extended areas.

The impact of the 17 March 2015 St. Patrick's Day storm on the evolutionary pattern of equatorial ionization anomaly over the Indian longitudes using high-resolution spatiotemporal TEC maps: New insights

“…[]. The technique of the generation of 2‐D TEC maps was successfully validated by comparing the results with individual GPS stations, vindicating the projected potential of SBAS over extended areas [ Sunda et al ., ]. While generating the TEC map, one has to be careful of any extreme/unusual values of TEC which might occur at the edges of the IGP service area due to undersampling.…”

“…The SBAS (GAGAN) data get updated every~5 min and encompass a wide longitude (~55-110°E) and latitude (5°S-45°N) region. The detailed description on GAGAN, SBAS messages, and the methodology to decode the ionospheric delay from SBAS messages including the smoothing techniques employed have been provided by Sunda et al [2015]. The technique of the generation of 2-D TEC maps was successfully validated by comparing the results with individual GPS stations, vindicating the projected potential of SBAS over extended areas .…”

A Statistical Study on The Local Time Dependence of Equatorial Spread F (ESF) Irregularities and Their Relation to Low‐Latitude Es Layers Under Geomagnetic Storms

“…The plasma irregularities caused due to plasma instabilities and plasma disturbances due to traveling ionospheric disturbances pose severe problems to the communication and navigation systems and interfere with surveillance operations as well as disruption in detection and tracking of aircraft, missiles, satellites, and other targets (Booker & Wells, 1938;Doherty et al, 2004;Sunda et al, 2015). The plasma irregularities caused due to plasma instabilities and plasma disturbances due to traveling ionospheric disturbances pose severe problems to the communication and navigation systems and interfere with surveillance operations as well as disruption in detection and tracking of aircraft, missiles, satellites, and other targets (Booker & Wells, 1938;Doherty et al, 2004;Sunda et al, 2015).…”

“…As the Earth's magnetic field lines are nearly horizontal over magnetic equator, the equatorial ionosphere is a bed for variety of plasma instabilities to cause plasma disturbances and plasma irregularities. The plasma irregularities caused due to plasma instabilities and plasma disturbances due to traveling ionospheric disturbances pose severe problems to the communication and navigation systems and interfere with surveillance operations as well as disruption in detection and tracking of aircraft, missiles, satellites, and other targets (Booker & Wells, 1938;Doherty et al, 2004;Sunda et al, 2015). So understanding the thermosphereionosphere magnetosphere interactions that control the electrodynamics behind dynamical evolution of ionospheric irregularities under disturbed periods is most important for communication system, civilian applications, etc.…”

Modelling of Ionospheric Time Delays Based on Adjusted Spherical Harmonic Analysis

“…Ionospheric delays are characterized based on the ionospheric grid point (IGP) and ionospheric pierce point (IPP) (Ratnam 2013). Grid-based models are generally used to estimate the ionospheric delays at the predefined ionospheric grid points and provide the values to the users (Sunda et al 2015). Then the user receiver interpolates the broadcast vertical delay at the IGPs close to their ionospheric pierce point to estimate its ionospheric delay.…”