TEC

About: TEC is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5119 publications have been published within this topic receiving 84696 citations.

Comparison of high latitude electron density profiles obtained with the GPS radio occultation technique and EISCAT measurements

Abstract: To obtain a comprehensive view on high latitude processes by applying different observation techniques, the SIRCUS campaign was initiated in 2001/2002. This paper compares electron density profiles derived from CHAMP radio occultation data and those measured with the EISCAT facility. Since ionospheric profiling with the help of space-based received GPS is a relatively new technique, validations with established independent instruments are of crucial need. We present 28 profiling events for quasi-statistical analyses, which occurred during the SIRCUS campaigns and describe some of them in more detail. We found out that the majority of profile comparisons in electron density peak value and height, as well as in TEC, lie within the error ranges of the two methods. Differences in the ionospheric quantities do not necessarily occur when the locations of the occultation and of the radar site show considerable distances. Differences are more pronounced when the ionosphere is remarkably structured.

Man-made space weather

Abstract: [1] Major geomagnetic storms produce dramatic gradients in the ionosphere's total electron content (TEC) that cause errors in GPS-dependent navigation systems, such as those used by the U. S. Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration. Here we describe the first use of GPS signals to detect large-scale gradients in TEC very similar to those found during ionospheric storms but produced instead by the exhaust gases of a large Titan rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center. The severe ionospheric perturbations of 30 April 2005, observed simultaneously by optical emission from the thermosphere and by GPS diagnostics of the ionosphere, describe a unique type of space weather effect caused by nonnatural sources.

Impacts of Power Grid Frequency Deviation on Time Error of Synchronous Electric Clock and Worldwide Power System Practices on Time Error Correction

Abstract: Synchronous electric clocks utilize power grid frequency as their timing reference. Power grid frequency deviation away from its nominal value results in synchronous electric clocks running fast or running slow (also known as the time error). In this article, statistical analysis on time error of synchronous electric clocks around the world is firstly presented using the power grid frequency measurements recorded by the wide-area frequency monitoring network FNET/GridEye. Then, the time error correction (TEC) process provided by electric utilities is analyzed and the worldwide TEC practice is investigated. Eventually, regions of the world where electric utilities provide TEC service are differentiated from those without TEC services. Analytical results demonstrate that the average time error of synchronous electric clocks in North America seems to be less than five seconds, and it has not changed very much over the past few years. On the other hand, the identification results present that up to the end of 2016, many electric utilities around the world, especially in North America and Europe, provided the TEC service to periodically remove the accumulative time error of synchronous electric clocks.

SIMuRG: System for Ionosphere Monitoring and Research from GNSS

Abstract: Currently, more than 6000 operating GNSS receivers deliver observations to multiple servers. Ionospheric data are derived from these measurements providing outstanding space coverage and time resolution. There are about 200 million independent measurements daily. Researchers need sophisticated software tools to deal with such a large amount of data. We present recent advances and products from the System for Ionosphere Monitoring and Research from GNSS (SIMuRG). Currently, SIMuRG provides the total electron content (TEC) variations filtered within 2–10 min, 10–20 min, and 20–60 min, the Rate of the TEC Index, the Along Arc TEC Rate index, and the vertical TEC. SIMuRG is an online service at http://simurg.iszf.irk.ru . The system can be used free of charge and allows calculating both maps and series for arbitrary time intervals and geographic regions. All the data products are available in the form of data or figures. We discuss the system and its geophysics applications.

A new algorithm for single receiver DCB estimation using IGS TEC maps

Abstract: A new algorithm for single receiver DCB estimation using GIM vertical TEC gridded values is proposed. It estimates receiver DCB and vertical residual ionospheric delays using the least squares approach with linear constraints. The performance of the proposed algorithm was assessed by comparing estimated receiver DCBs with those provided by the IGS. The same comparisons were done using two other algorithms for receiver DCB estimation. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm is capable of reproducing IGS DCB values at the level of 0.1–0.3 ns, which is better than the level of agreement observed for the other two algorithms. For our tests, we considered data from more than 100 IGS stations, daily, such that all major regions of the world were covered. Besides, both ionospherically quiet and disturbed days were considered. It provides some evidence that the aforementioned level of agreement with IGS receiver DCB values does not significantly dependent on geographical region and the state of the ionosphere. The algorithm is easy to implement and can be considered for online use.