Tropospheric delay modelling for the EGNOS augmentation system

Abstract

Tropospheric delay is one of the deleterious factors limiting the accuracy of the precise Global Navigation Satellite Systems positioning. The value of delay depends on the path through which a signal has to follow in the subsurface layers of the atmosphere. Tropospheric delay models are developed to overcome this limitation. Among them one can find UNB, TropGrid or IGGtrop models. In this paper, we adjusted the UNB3m model to the actual meteorological parameters from Europe. A new model was called UNBe.eu covering the EGNOS augmentation system area. The use of meteorological observations helped us to decrease the bias for more than 70% of reference radio sounding locations. Still, 30% of reference sites depicted a lack of any improvements of the ZTD estimation with regard to the newly established model. Therefore, this study puts forward a need for a deeper investigation of the discussed issue.