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## Determination of the Total Electronic Content of the Ionosphere over the Vostok Station Using GNSS Observations

Transactions of IAA RAS, issue 52, 68–71 (2020)

Keywords: GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, total electronic content, ionosphere

### Abstract

D. A. Trofimov, S. D. Petrov, Yu. A. Serov, I. V. Chekunov, S. S. Smirnov, A. S. Grishina, K. V. Zheltova, O. A. Troshichev. Determination of the Total Electronic Content of the Ionosphere over the Vostok Station Using GNSS Observations // Transactions of IAA RAS. — 2020. — Issue 52. — P. 68–71. @article{trofimov2020, abstract = {The propagation of radio emission through the Earth's ionosphere is currently a serious problem in terms of processing radio engineering measurements in space geodesy. On the other hand, the presence of two independent frequency channels in modern navigation receivers of the geodetic class allows a fairly accurate estimate of the ionosphere parameters that determine the propagation of radio waves through it. Accordingly, the performance of long-term geodetic GNSS measurements is simultaneously sounding the ionosphere; it thus seemed interesting to work out a methodology for determining the total electronic content of the ionosphere (TEC). Observations were performed at the Vostok Antarctic station, located near the Earth’s south geomagnetic pole. For making observations, an observation point was set up, consisting of a column frozen in a firn, on the upper end of which there is a platform with a screw mark for fixing the receiver, covered by a radio-transparent dome. The JAVAD Triumph-1 receiver was installed at the site. Both GPS and GLONASS were observed at two frequencies with a time resolution of 30 seconds. The observations were carried out in two intervals, from February 7, 2016 to January 31, 2017 and from February 4, 2018 to February 10, 2019. TEC was determined only on the basis of code measurements for both GPS and GLONASS. The results were compared with CODE ionospheric maps. Our TEC data are in good agreement with the CODE data. An interesting phenomenon was discovered when large emissions of about 200–250 TECU appeared in GPS-calculated TECs in 2016, with similar emissions being absent in 2018 and in the GLONASS-based TECs. This phenomenon has not yet received a reliable explanation. When comparing the TEC series for 2016 and 2018, the expected seasonal variations are observed. The TEC series obtained by GLONASS and GPS are in good agreement with each other. It is planned to resume observations approximately since February 2020.}, author = {D.~A. Trofimov and S.~D. Petrov and Yu.~A. Serov and I.~V. Chekunov and S.~S. Smirnov and A.~S. Grishina and K.~V. Zheltova and O.~A. Troshichev}, doi = {10.32876/ApplAstron.52.68-71}, issue = {52}, journal = {Transactions of IAA RAS}, keyword = {GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, total electronic content, ionosphere}, pages = {68--71}, title = {Determination of the Total Electronic Content of the Ionosphere over the Vostok Station Using GNSS Observations}, url = {http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/2039/}, year = {2020} } TY - JOUR TI - Determination of the Total Electronic Content of the Ionosphere over the Vostok Station Using GNSS Observations AU - Trofimov, D. A. AU - Petrov, S. D. AU - Serov, Yu. A. AU - Chekunov, I. V. AU - Smirnov, S. S. AU - Grishina, A. S. AU - Zheltova, K. V. AU - Troshichev, O. A. PY - 2020 T2 - Transactions of IAA RAS IS - 52 SP - 68 AB - The propagation of radio emission through the Earth's ionosphere is currently a serious problem in terms of processing radio engineering measurements in space geodesy. On the other hand, the presence of two independent frequency channels in modern navigation receivers of the geodetic class allows a fairly accurate estimate of the ionosphere parameters that determine the propagation of radio waves through it. Accordingly, the performance of long-term geodetic GNSS measurements is simultaneously sounding the ionosphere; it thus seemed interesting to work out a methodology for determining the total electronic content of the ionosphere (TEC). Observations were performed at the Vostok Antarctic station, located near the Earth’s south geomagnetic pole. For making observations, an observation point was set up, consisting of a column frozen in a firn, on the upper end of which there is a platform with a screw mark for fixing the receiver, covered by a radio-transparent dome. The JAVAD Triumph-1 receiver was installed at the site. Both GPS and GLONASS were observed at two frequencies with a time resolution of 30 seconds. The observations were carried out in two intervals, from February 7, 2016 to January 31, 2017 and from February 4, 2018 to February 10, 2019. TEC was determined only on the basis of code measurements for both GPS and GLONASS. The results were compared with CODE ionospheric maps. Our TEC data are in good agreement with the CODE data. An interesting phenomenon was discovered when large emissions of about 200–250 TECU appeared in GPS-calculated TECs in 2016, with similar emissions being absent in 2018 and in the GLONASS-based TECs. This phenomenon has not yet received a reliable explanation. When comparing the TEC series for 2016 and 2018, the expected seasonal variations are observed. The TEC series obtained by GLONASS and GPS are in good agreement with each other. It is planned to resume observations approximately since February 2020. DO - 10.32876/ApplAstron.52.68-71 UR - http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/2039/ ER -