GNSS metadata and data validation in the EUREF Permanent Network

Abstract

The EUREF Permanent Network (EPN) is a network of continuously operating GNSS stations installed throughout the European continent. The EPN Central Bureau (CB) performs the day-to-day EPN coordination, acts as liaison between station operators, data centers, and analysis centers, and maintains the EPN Information System. Over the last years, the EPN CB has accommodated the enhancements required by the new EU General Data Protection Regulation, new multi-GNSS signals, new RINEX formats, increased usage of real-time GNSS data, and the new GeodesyML metadata exchange format. We will discuss how the EPN CB validates and provides access to EPN station metadata and monitors EPN data sets in terms of availability, latency, and quality to ensure they meet the user requirements. The analysis of 23 years of EPN GNSS data quality checks demonstrates some of the most frequently encountered tracking problems affecting EPN stations, and specific GNSS receiver types, throughout the years.