Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

SHPTS: towards a new method for generating precise global ionospheric TEC map based on spherical harmonic and generalized trigonometric series functions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Geodesy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To take maximum advantage of the increasing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data to improve the accuracy and resolution of global ionospheric TEC map (GIM), an approach, named Spherical Harmonic plus generalized Trigonometric Series functions (SHPTS), is proposed by integrating the spherical harmonic and the generalized trigonometric series functions on global and local scales, respectively. The SHPTS-based GIM from January 1st, 2001 to December 31st, 2011 (about one solar cycle) is validated by the ionospheric TEC from raw global GPS data, the GIM released by the current Ionospheric Associate Analysis Center (IAAC), the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite and the DORIS. The present results show that the SHPTS-based GIM over the area where no real data are available has the same accuracy level (approximately 2–6 TECu) to that released by the current IAAC. However, the ionospheric TEC in the SHPTS-based GIM over the area covered by real data is more accurate (approximately 1.5 TECu) than that of the GIM (approximately 3.0 TECu) released by the current IAAC. The external accuracy of the SHPTS-based GIM validated by the TOPEX/Poseidon and DORIS is approximately 2.5–5.5 and 1.5–4.5 TECu, respectively. In particular, the SHPTS-based GIM is the best or almost the best ranked, along with those of JPL and UPC, when they are compared with TOPEX/Poseidon measurements, and the best (in addition to UPC) when they are validated with DORIS data. With the increase in the number of GNSS satellites and contributing stations, the performance of the SHPTS-based GIM can be further improved. The SHPTS-based GIM routinely calculated using global GPS, GLONASS and BDS data will be found at the website http://www.gipp.org.cn.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • BD-SIS-ICD (2012) BeiDou Navigation Satellite System Signal In Space Interface Control Document. China Satellite Navigation Office, Beijing

  • Blewitt G (1990) An automatic editing algorithm for GPS data. Geophys Res Lett 17(3):199–202. doi:10.1029/GL017i003p00199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brunini C, Meza A, Bosch W (2005) Temporal and spatial variability of the bias between TOPEX- and GPS-derived total electron content. J Geodesy 79(4–5):175–188. doi:10.1007/s00190-005-0448-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durmaz M, Karslioglu MO, Nohutcu M (2010) Regional VTEC modeling with multivariate adaptive regression splines. Adv Space Res 46(2):180–189. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2010.02.030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feltens J (1998) IGS ionosphere models comparison. In: IGS presentation, JPL ionosphere workshop, Pasadena, CA

  • Feltens J, Schaer S (1998) IGS product for the Ionosphere. In: Proceedings of the IGS analysis centers workshop. Darmstadt, Germany, pp 225–232

  • Feltens J, Dow JM, Martín-Mur TJ, Martínez CG, Bernedo P (1998) Routine production of ionosphere TEC maps at ESOC-first results (IGS presentation). In: Paper presented at proceedings of the 1998 IGS AC workshop. ESOC, Darmstadt

  • Feltens J (2003) The international GPS service (IGS) ionosphere working group. Adv Space Res 31(3):635–644. doi:10.1016/S0273-1177(03)00029-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feltens J, Dow JM (2006) Realized and planned improvements in ESA/ESOC ionosphere modeling. In: IGS workshop, Darmstadt

  • Feltens J (2007) Development of a new three-dimensional mathematical ionosphere model at European Space Agency/European Space Operations Centre. Space Weather 5(S12002):1–17. doi:10.1029/2006SW000294

    Google Scholar 

  • Georgiadiou Y (1994) Modeling the ionosphere for an active control network of GPS stations. In: LGR-series-publications of the Delft Geodetic Computing Centre, vol 7, no 1

  • GLONASS-ICD (2008) GLONASS interface control document, version 5.1. Coordination Scientific Information Center, Moscow

  • Gulyaeva TL, Arikan F, Hernandez-Pajares M, Stanislawska I (2013) GIM-TEC adaptive ionospheric weather assessment and forecast system. J Atmos Sol-Terr Phys 102:329–340. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2013.06.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández-Pajares M, Juan JM, Sanz J (1999) New approaches in global ionospheric determination using ground GPS data. J Atmos Sol-Terr Phys 61(16):1237–1247. doi:10.1016/S1364-6826(99)00054-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández-Pajares M, Juan J, Sanz J, Orus R, Garcia-Rigo A, Feltens J, Komjathy A, Schaer S, Krankowski A (2009) The IGS VTEC maps: a reliable source of ionospheric information since 1998. J Geodesy 83(3):263–275. doi:10.1007/s00190-008-0266-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IS-GPS (2008) Navstar GPS space segment/user segment L1C interfaces. In: Science Applications International Corporation. El Segundo, California

  • Komjathy A, Sparks L, Wilson BD, Mannucci AJ (2005) Automated daily processing of more than 1000 ground-based GPS receivers for studying intense ionospheric storms. Radio Sci 40(6):S6006. doi:10.1029/2005RS003279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lanyi G, Roth T, C.I.O.T. Jet Propulsion Lab (1988) A comparison of mapped and measured total ionospheric electron content using global positioning system and beacon satellite observations. Radio Sci 23(4):483–492. doi:10.1029/RS023i004p00483

  • Li Z (2012) Study on the mitigation of ionospheric delay and the monitoring of global ionospheric TEC based on GNSS/compass. Ph.D. thesis, Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China (in Chinese)

  • Li H, Yuan Y, Li Z, Huo X, Yan W (2012a) Ionospheric electron concentration imaging using combination of LEO satellite data with ground-based GPS observations over China. Ieee T Geosci Remote 50(5):1728–1735. doi:10.1109/TGRS.2011.2168964

  • Li Z, Yuan Y, Li H, Ou J, Huo X (2012b) Two-step method for the determination of the differential code biases of COMPASS satellites. J Geodesy 86(11):1059–1076. doi:10.1007/s00190-012-0565-4

  • Liu J, Chen R, Wang Z, Zhang H (2010) Spherical cap harmonic model for mapping and predicting regional TEC. GPS Sol 15(2):109–119. doi:10.1007/s10291-010-0174-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mannucci AJ, Wilson BD, Edwards CD (1993) A new method for monitoring the earth’s ionospheric total electron content using the GPS global network. In: Paper presented at proceedings of the ION GPS-93, Salt Like City, Utah

  • Mannucci AJ, Wilson BD, Yuan DN, Ho CH, Lindqwister UJ, Runge TF (1998) A global mapping technique for GPS-derived ionospheric total electron content measurements. Radio Sci 33(3):565–582. doi:10.1029/97RS02707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mannucci AJ, Iijima BA, Lindqwister UJ, Pi X, Sparks L, Wilson BD (1999) GPS and ionosphere: review of radio science 1996–1999. Oxford Univ. Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Nohutcu M, Karslioglu MO, Schmidt M (2010) B-spline modeling of VTEC over Turkey using GPS observations. J Atmos Sol-Terr Phys 72(7–8):617–624. doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2010.02.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orús R (2005) Contributions on the improvement, assessment and application of the global ionospheric VTEC maps computed with GPS data. Ph.D thesis, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona

  • Orús R, Hernández-Pajares M, Juan JM, Sanz J (2006) Current status and expected improvements of ionospheric reprocessing. In: IGS Workshop, Darmstadt

  • OS-SIS-ICD (2010) European GNSS (Galileo) open service signal in space interface control document. Issue 1.1, European Union

  • Sardon E, Rius A, Zarraoa N (1994) Estimation of the transmitter and receiver differential biases and the ionospheric total electron content from Global Positioning System observations. Radio Sci 29(3):577–586. doi:10.1029/94RS00449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarma AD, Ratnam DV, Reddy DK (2009) Modelling of low-latitude ionosphere using modified planar fit method for GAGAN. Radar Sonar Navigation, IET 3(6):609–619. doi:10.1049/iet-rsn.2009.0022

  • Schaer S, Gurtner W, Feltens J (1998) IONEX: the IONosphere map EXchange format version 1. In: Paper presented at proceedings of the IGS AC workshop, Darmstadt

  • Schaer S (1999) Mapping and predicting the earth’s ionosphere using the global positioning system. Ph.D thesis, Astronomical Institutes, University of Bern, Berne

  • Wen D, Yuan Y, Ou J, Huo X, Zhang K (2007) Three-dimensional ionospheric tomography algebraic reconstruction technique. GPS Sol 11(4):251–258. doi:10.1007/s10291-007-0055-y

  • Yuan Y, Ou J (2002) Differential areas for differential stations (DADS): a new method of establishing grid ionospheric model. Chin Sci Bull 47(12):1033–1036. doi:10.1007/BF02907577

  • Yuan Y, Ou J (2004) A generalized trigonometric series function model for determining ionospheric delay. Prog Nat Sci 14(11):1010–1014. doi:10.1080/10020070412331344711

  • Yuan Y, Tscherning CC, Knudsen P, Xu G, Ou J (2008) The ionospheric eclipse factor method (IEFM) and its application to determining the ionospheric delay for GPS. J Geodesy 82(1):1–8. doi:10.1007/s00190-007-0152-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Xu P, Han W, Ge M, Shi C (2012) Eliminating negative VTEC in global ionosphere maps using inequality-constrained least square. Adv Space Res. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2012.06.026

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the editor-in-chief (Roland Kleesthe), the handling editor (Johannes Böhm) and three anonymous reviewers for their editorial feedback and valuable suggestions. This research was partially funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB825604), China Natural Science Funds (Nos. 41304034, 41231064, 41104012), Beijing Natural Science Funds (Nos. 4144094), 863 programs (No. 2012AA121803), China Scholarship Council and CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams (No. KZZD-EW-TZ-05) and the State Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics (Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, CAS) (No: SKLGED2014-3-1-E). The authors would like to acknowledge the IGS Global Data Center CDDIS (Crustal Dynamics Data Information System, Greenbelt, MD, USA), iGMAS (international GNSS Monitoring and Assessment Service, Beijing, China), Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE; University of Berne, Switzerland), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL; Pasadena, California, USA), European Space Operations Center of European Space Agency (ESOC; Darmstadt, Germany), and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya/IonSAT (UPC; Barcelona, Spain) for providing the data used in our experiment.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics, Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China

    Zishen Li, Yunbin Yuan, Ningbo Wang & Xingliang Huo

  2. Academy of Opto-Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Zishen Li

  3. Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, UPC-IonSAT, Barcelona, Spain

    Manuel Hernandez-Pajares

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Ningbo Wang

Authors
  1. Zishen Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yunbin Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ningbo Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Manuel Hernandez-Pajares
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xingliang Huo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zishen Li or Yunbin Yuan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Z., Yuan, Y., Wang, N. et al. SHPTS: towards a new method for generating precise global ionospheric TEC map based on spherical harmonic and generalized trigonometric series functions. J Geod 89, 331–345 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-014-0778-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-014-0778-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation