Weighted Dilution of Precision Estimation for GNSS Positioning Under Ionospheric Scintillation in the Canadian Arctic

Sophie LeGresley, Richard B. Langley

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	Operating in the Canadian High Arctic requires dependable satellite positioning and navigation systems for tasks ranging from charting remote areas to ensuring the safety of marine and aviation missions. As signals propagate through the ionosphere, irregularities in electron density can induce rapid fluctuations in amplitude and carrier phase, collectively referred to as scintillation. Severe amplitude fading can drive the signal below the receiver’s tracking threshold, while rapid phase variations can disrupt the phase-locked loop and range errors or loss of lock. In Canada, the effects of scintillation dominate at high latitudes, making the Arctic a region where GNSS availability can be particularly compromised. Despite extensive study of scintillation climatology and characterization, few efforts have focused on assessing its effect on GNSS uses for positioning and navigation. This paper presents a methodology to quantify how scintillation degrades position solution quality by reducing satellite availability. Data from the Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network are used to construct a scintillation sky map, which is updated at the cadence of phase observations to capture its spatial and temporal variability across the region. This map is then used to estimate the level of scintillation affecting signals received by a user, which in turn is applied to weight the availability in a weighted Geometric Dilution of Precision (GDOP) estimate. The findings show a consistent increase in correlation between 3D position residuals and the weighted GDOP compared to the standard GDOP, demonstrating the potential of this approach and the value in expressing scintillation impact in terms of satellite availability.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2026 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 26 - 29, 2026 Hyatt Regency Orange County Anaheim, California
Pages:	225 - 235
Cite this article:	LeGresley, Sophie, Langley, Richard B., "Weighted Dilution of Precision Estimation for GNSS Positioning Under Ionospheric Scintillation in the Canadian Arctic," Proceedings of the 2026 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Anaheim, California, January 2026, pp. 225-235. https://doi.org/10.33012/2026.20540
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