Ionosphere characterization using GPS P3 method by measuring ionospheric
delay in Southeast of Brazil and considering geomagnetic storms.
Abstract
Ionospheric refraction introduces significant delay and fading in the
electromagnetic signals. This makes the ionosphere the most harmful
layer of the Earth’s atmosphere to the electromagnetic signals emitted
by satellites, impacting the reliability of GNSS services. Depending on
the ionization level of the ionosphere plasma and the signal frequency,
these errors can vary from a few meters to signal unavailability. The
main factors influencing ionosphere plasma’s ionization level are the
intensity of solar radiation and the Earth’s magnetic field. The main
parameter to evaluate the behavior of the ionosphere is the Total
Electron Content (TEC), existing between the satellite and the
terrestrial receiver antenna. By predicting the TEC value, it is
possible to predict the effects of ionospheric refraction and develop
techniques to increase reliability in services that depend on GNSS. This
study spans the four seasons from 2018 to 2023, utilizing measurements
of ionospheric delays collected by the UTC(INXE). Daily, seasonal, and
annual variations in Vertical TEC (VTEC) values are analyzed. A
comparative assessment is made between the VTEC values obtained by the
GPS P3 method and the Ionospheric Map method for each season until
winter 2023. The Analysis of Variance demonstrated the compatibility and
comparability of the two methods. Additionally, this investigation
explores changes in the ionosphere behavior at the UTC(INXE) location
during the geomagnetic storms caused by the solar explosions on April
21, 2023. The findings provide valuable insights for the ionosphere
dynamics and can contribute to developing techniques to improve GNSS
services’ reliability.