Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case Study
Approaching the peak year of the 25th solar activity cycle, the frequency of strong geomagnetic storms is gradually increasing, which seriously affects the navigation and positioning performance of GNSS. Based on the globally distributed GNSS station data and FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 occultation data, th...
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/23/5512 |
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| author | Yifan Wang Yunbin Yuan Min Li Ting Zhang Hao Geng Guofang Wang Gang Wen |
| author_facet | Yifan Wang Yunbin Yuan Min Li Ting Zhang Hao Geng Guofang Wang Gang Wen |
| author_sort | Yifan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Approaching the peak year of the 25th solar activity cycle, the frequency of strong geomagnetic storms is gradually increasing, which seriously affects the navigation and positioning performance of GNSS. Based on the globally distributed GNSS station data and FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 occultation data, this paper explores for the first time the effects of the G4-class geomagnetic storm that occurred on 23–24 April 2023 on the global ionosphere, especially the ionospheric equatorial anomalies and F-layer perturbations. It reveals the precise point positioning (PPP) accuracy degradation during a geomagnetic storm. The results show that the ionospheric rate of total electron content index (ROTI) and near high latitude GNSS phase scintillations index have varying levels of perturbation during geomagnetic storms, with the maximum ROTI and phase scintillations index exceeding 0.5 TECU/min and 0.8, respectively. The equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) shows an enhanced state (positive ionospheric storms) during geomagnetic storms, and the cause of this phenomenon is most likely the equatorward neutral wind. The variation of the S4 index of the FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 satellite reveals the uplift of the F-layer during geomagnetic storms. During geomagnetic storms, the PPP accuracy degrades most seriously at high latitudes, the maximum MAE exceeds 2.3 m, and the RMS in the three-dimensional (3D) direction exceeds 2.0 m. These investigations can provide case support for space weather and GNSS studies of the impact of geomagnetic storms during peak solar activity years. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:43:41Z |
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| id | doaj.art-15fd9375191a4939b8137b031d0ea0d1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:43:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-15fd9375191a4939b8137b031d0ea0d12023-12-08T15:24:51ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922023-11-011523551210.3390/rs15235512Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case StudyYifan Wang0Yunbin Yuan1Min Li2Ting Zhang3Hao Geng4Guofang Wang5Gang Wen6Joint Laboratory of Power Remote Sensing Technology, Electric Power Research Institute, Yunnan Power Grid Company Ltd., Kunming 650217, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430077, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430077, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430077, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Power Remote Sensing Technology, Electric Power Research Institute, Yunnan Power Grid Company Ltd., Kunming 650217, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Power Remote Sensing Technology, Electric Power Research Institute, Yunnan Power Grid Company Ltd., Kunming 650217, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Power Remote Sensing Technology, Electric Power Research Institute, Yunnan Power Grid Company Ltd., Kunming 650217, ChinaApproaching the peak year of the 25th solar activity cycle, the frequency of strong geomagnetic storms is gradually increasing, which seriously affects the navigation and positioning performance of GNSS. Based on the globally distributed GNSS station data and FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 occultation data, this paper explores for the first time the effects of the G4-class geomagnetic storm that occurred on 23–24 April 2023 on the global ionosphere, especially the ionospheric equatorial anomalies and F-layer perturbations. It reveals the precise point positioning (PPP) accuracy degradation during a geomagnetic storm. The results show that the ionospheric rate of total electron content index (ROTI) and near high latitude GNSS phase scintillations index have varying levels of perturbation during geomagnetic storms, with the maximum ROTI and phase scintillations index exceeding 0.5 TECU/min and 0.8, respectively. The equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) shows an enhanced state (positive ionospheric storms) during geomagnetic storms, and the cause of this phenomenon is most likely the equatorward neutral wind. The variation of the S4 index of the FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 satellite reveals the uplift of the F-layer during geomagnetic storms. During geomagnetic storms, the PPP accuracy degrades most seriously at high latitudes, the maximum MAE exceeds 2.3 m, and the RMS in the three-dimensional (3D) direction exceeds 2.0 m. These investigations can provide case support for space weather and GNSS studies of the impact of geomagnetic storms during peak solar activity years.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/23/5512geomagnetic stormsEIAionospheric disturbancesROTIprecise point positioning |
| spellingShingle | Yifan Wang Yunbin Yuan Min Li Ting Zhang Hao Geng Guofang Wang Gang Wen Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case Study Remote Sensing geomagnetic storms EIA ionospheric disturbances ROTI precise point positioning |
| title | Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case Study |
| title_full | Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case Study |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case Study |
| title_short | Effects of Strong Geomagnetic Storms on the Ionosphere and Degradation of Precise Point Positioning Accuracy during the 25th Solar Cycle Rising Phase: A Case Study |
| title_sort | effects of strong geomagnetic storms on the ionosphere and degradation of precise point positioning accuracy during the 25th solar cycle rising phase a case study |
| topic | geomagnetic storms EIA ionospheric disturbances ROTI precise point positioning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/23/5512 |
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