Monitoring Space Weather with GPS Mapping Techniques

A. Coster, J. Foster, P. Erickson, B. Sandel, F. Rich

Abstract:	GPS total electron content data (TEC) from distributed GPS receiver networks can be used to produce a temporal and spatial history of TEC perturbations. During geomagnetic disturbances, intense storm-time electric fields of magnetospheric origin extend across midlatitudes and redistribute the ionospheric plasma through advection across both latitude and local time [1,2]. Strong increases and sharp spatial gradients in total electron content (TEC) characterize the ionospheric storm response. These gradients can be studied with GPS mapping techniques. This paper will examine the 31 March 2001 geomagnetic storm and its space weather effects. During this storm, plumes of ionization driven by the sub-auroral polarization stream (SAPS) are observed with the GPS maps of TEC [3,4]. These data, when combined with other sensors, provide a unique monitoring tool for observation of the atmosphere's response to this geomagnetic storm. Plumes of ionization move in a westward direction up to high latitudes. The Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar detects large velocities in the SAPS region, and can be compared to GPS TEC data to show that 50-60% of the TEC plume distribution occurs above 800 km. The ionization plumes are also shown to be directly correlated with the large plasmaspheric drainage plumes observed by the NASA IMAGE satellite EUV sensor. This paper will discuss these space weather observations and describe how GPS measurements are furthering our understanding of the complex processes which occur during geomagnetic storms. Finally, we conclude by concentrating specifically the storm effects on GPS measurements at mid-latitudes, and show that we can better understand and predict GPS variations through an understanding and monitoring of overall ionospheric response.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2003 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 22 - 24, 2003 Disneyland Paradise Pier Hotel Anaheim, CA
Pages:	800 - 808
Cite this article:	Coster, A., Foster, J., Erickson, P., Sandel, B., Rich, F., "Monitoring Space Weather with GPS Mapping Techniques," Proceedings of the 2003 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Anaheim, CA, January 2003, pp. 800-808.
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