GNSS Imaging-derived Dynamics of Ionospheric Storm Transition Regions

Seebany Datta-Barua and Gary S. Bust

Abstract:	In this work, we use Ionospheric Data Assimilation Four- Dimensional (IDA4D) and Estimating Model Parameters from Ionospheric Reverse Engineering (EMPIRE) to resolve the storm-enhanced Density’s (SED) three-dimensional time-varying electron density gradients at high resolution and estimate the three-dimensional plasma velocity. These estimated electron densities and plasma velocities are used to construct the ionospheric error that would be observed from a hypothetical test Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) user and reference station pair. The differential errors are compared to spatial ionospheric error gradients and electron content speeds that were estimated from observational data in the literature for the Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) ionospheric model. The IDA4D density model of an extreme ionospheric storm shows slant total electron content (TEC) delays of up to 30 m at L1 frequency, comparable to the delays of ground stations observing at that time. The differential delays and the TEC slopes implied by the density model are 100 mm/km. This slope is the same order of magnitude as those that populate the LAAS ionospheric threat model, but are less than the largest observed, which are around 400 mm/km. The horizontal drifts predicted are northwestward within the SED plume and its boundary, turning northeastward at high latitudes. The vertical drifts are estimated to be high speed upward around 1820 UT, and lower in magnitude afterward above a particular ground station in the region of interest.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 24th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2011) September 20 - 23, 2011 Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon Portland, OR
Pages:	2532 - 2541
Cite this article:	Datta-Barua, Seebany, Bust, Gary S., "GNSS Imaging-derived Dynamics of Ionospheric Storm Transition Regions," Proceedings of the 24th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2011), Portland, OR, September 2011, pp. 2532-2541.
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