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GNSS tropospheric gradients with high temporal resolution and their effect on precise positioning

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Zhenhong Li

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Abstract

The tropospheric horizontal gradients with high spatiotemporal resolutions provide important information to describe the azimuthally asymmetric delays, and significantly increase the ability of ground-based GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) within the field of meteorological studies, like the nowcasting of severe rainfall events. The recent rapid development of multi-GNSS constellations has potential to provide such high-resolution gradients with a significant degree of accuracy. In this study, we develop a multi-GNSS process for the precise retrieval of high-resolution tropospheric gradients. The tropospheric gradients with different temporal resolutions, retrieved from both single-system and multi-GNSS solutions, are validated using independent numerical weather models (NWM) data and water vapor radiometer (WVR) observations. The benefits of multi-GNSS processing for the retrieval of tropospheric gradients, as well as for the improvement of precise positioning, are demonstrated. The multi-GNSS high-resolution gradients agree well with those derived from the NWM and WVR, especially for the fast-changing peaks which are mostly associated with synoptic fronts. The multi-GNSS gradients behave in a much more stable manner than the single-system estimates, especially in cases of high temporal resolution, benefiting from the increased number of observed satellites and improved observation geometry. The high-resolution multi-GNSS gradients show higher correlation with the NWM and WVR gradients than the low-resolution gradients. Furthermore, the precision of station positions can also be noticeably improved by multi-GNSS fusion, and enhanced results can be achieved if the high-resolution gradient estimation is performed, instead of the commonly used daily gradient estimation in the multi-GNSS data processing.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Lu C, Li X, Li Z, Heinkelmann R, Nilsson T, Dick G, Ge M, Schuh H

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Year: 2016

Volume: 121

Issue: 2

Pages: 912-930

Print publication date: 27/01/2016

Online publication date: 29/01/2016

Acceptance date: 28/12/2015

ISSN (print): 2169-897X

ISSN (electronic): 2169-8996

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015JD024255/full

DOI: 10.1002/2015JD024255

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