Analysis of GPS ionospheric scintillation during solar maximum at mid-latitude

Abstract

Ionospheric irregularities if persisted may lead to change in phase and amplitude of satellite signals and hence, ionospheric scintillation. Strong scintillation may induce loss of signal, cycle slips or excessive phase noise. The errors incurred by the radio signals could be disastrous especially to very sensitive agencies that make use of it if not properly managed. It is therefore pertinent to monitor ionospheric scintillation characteristics for good understanding of ionosphere. To achieve this, GISTM (GPS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC Monitor) is used to aid the detection of ionospheric disturbances, their impact on GPS signals and measure the performance of GPS receiver. Based on ionospheric scintillation monitoring data at four stations between January and December, 2011 in China, ionospheric scintillation characteristics were investigated. The diurnal, monthly and seasonal variation characteristics of ionospheric phase and amplitude scintillations have been studied, as well as the correlation between phase scintillation, amplitude scintillation and TEC.