Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudes

<p>The comparative research of the influence of different types of auroral particle precipitation and polar cap patches (PCPs) on the global positioning system (GPS) signals disturbances in the polar ionosphere was done. For this purpose, we use the GPS scintillation receivers at Ny-Ålesund an...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: V. B. Belakhovsky, Y. Jin, W. J. Miloch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2021-07-01
Series:Annales Geophysicae
Online Access:https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/39/687/2021/angeo-39-687-2021.pdf
_version_ 1818588364676268032
author V. B. Belakhovsky
Y. Jin
W. J. Miloch
author_facet V. B. Belakhovsky
Y. Jin
W. J. Miloch
author_sort V. B. Belakhovsky
collection DOAJ
description <p>The comparative research of the influence of different types of auroral particle precipitation and polar cap patches (PCPs) on the global positioning system (GPS) signals disturbances in the polar ionosphere was done. For this purpose, we use the GPS scintillation receivers at Ny-Ålesund and Skibotn, operated by the University of Oslo. The presence of the auroral particle precipitation and polar cap patches was determined by using data from the EISCAT 42m radar on Svalbard. The optical aurora observations in 557.7 and 630.0 <span class="inline-formula">nm</span> spectrum lines on Svalbard were used as well for the detection of ionospheric disturbances. The cusp identification was done with using SuperDARN (Hankasalmi) data.</p> <p>We consider events when the simultaneous EISCAT 42m and GPS data were available for the years 2010–2017, and in this paper we present, in detail, typical examples describing the overall picture, and we present the statistics for 120 events. We considered the dayside/cusp precipitation, substorm precipitation, daytime and nighttime PCPs, and precipitation associated with the interplanetary shock wave arrival. We demonstrate that substorm-associated precipitation (even without PCPs) can lead to a strong GPS phase (<span class="inline-formula"><i>σ</i><sub><i>ϕ</i></sub></span>) scintillations up to <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 1.5–3 radians, which is much stronger than those usually produced by other types of considered ionosphere disturbances. The value of the substorm-phase scintillations in general correlate with the value of the geomagnetic field disturbance. But sometimes even a small geomagnetic substorm, when combined with the PCPs, produces quite strong phase scintillations. Cusp phase scintillations are lower than dayside PCPs scintillations. PCPs can lead to stronger ROT (rate of total electron content) variations than other types of ionosphere disturbances. So our observations suggest that the substorms and PCPs, being different types of the high-latitude disturbances, lead to the development of different types and scales of ionospheric irregularities.</p>
first_indexed 2024-12-16T09:23:35Z
format Article
id doaj.art-e4d3f2f5fc0f4b9f9069605409423c8d
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0992-7689
1432-0576
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-16T09:23:35Z
publishDate 2021-07-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Annales Geophysicae
spelling doaj.art-e4d3f2f5fc0f4b9f9069605409423c8d2022-12-21T22:36:43ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05762021-07-013968770010.5194/angeo-39-687-2021Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudesV. B. Belakhovsky0Y. Jin1W. J. Miloch2Polar Geophysical Institute, Apatity, RussiaDepartment of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway<p>The comparative research of the influence of different types of auroral particle precipitation and polar cap patches (PCPs) on the global positioning system (GPS) signals disturbances in the polar ionosphere was done. For this purpose, we use the GPS scintillation receivers at Ny-Ålesund and Skibotn, operated by the University of Oslo. The presence of the auroral particle precipitation and polar cap patches was determined by using data from the EISCAT 42m radar on Svalbard. The optical aurora observations in 557.7 and 630.0 <span class="inline-formula">nm</span> spectrum lines on Svalbard were used as well for the detection of ionospheric disturbances. The cusp identification was done with using SuperDARN (Hankasalmi) data.</p> <p>We consider events when the simultaneous EISCAT 42m and GPS data were available for the years 2010–2017, and in this paper we present, in detail, typical examples describing the overall picture, and we present the statistics for 120 events. We considered the dayside/cusp precipitation, substorm precipitation, daytime and nighttime PCPs, and precipitation associated with the interplanetary shock wave arrival. We demonstrate that substorm-associated precipitation (even without PCPs) can lead to a strong GPS phase (<span class="inline-formula"><i>σ</i><sub><i>ϕ</i></sub></span>) scintillations up to <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 1.5–3 radians, which is much stronger than those usually produced by other types of considered ionosphere disturbances. The value of the substorm-phase scintillations in general correlate with the value of the geomagnetic field disturbance. But sometimes even a small geomagnetic substorm, when combined with the PCPs, produces quite strong phase scintillations. Cusp phase scintillations are lower than dayside PCPs scintillations. PCPs can lead to stronger ROT (rate of total electron content) variations than other types of ionosphere disturbances. So our observations suggest that the substorms and PCPs, being different types of the high-latitude disturbances, lead to the development of different types and scales of ionospheric irregularities.</p>https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/39/687/2021/angeo-39-687-2021.pdf
spellingShingle V. B. Belakhovsky
Y. Jin
W. J. Miloch
Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudes
Annales Geophysicae
title Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudes
title_full Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudes
title_fullStr Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudes
title_full_unstemmed Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudes
title_short Influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on GPS signals at polar latitudes
title_sort influence of different types of ionospheric disturbances on gps signals at polar latitudes
url https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/39/687/2021/angeo-39-687-2021.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT vbbelakhovsky influenceofdifferenttypesofionosphericdisturbancesongpssignalsatpolarlatitudes
AT yjin influenceofdifferenttypesofionosphericdisturbancesongpssignalsatpolarlatitudes
AT wjmiloch influenceofdifferenttypesofionosphericdisturbancesongpssignalsatpolarlatitudes