Three-dimensional monitoring of the polar ionosphere with ground- and space-based GPS

Abstract

Integrated electron density measurements along GPS signal ray paths provide a useful data source for 3-dimensional ionospheric reconstruction. Since a substantial data amount is required for the application of the inverse problem, ground-based inversions are restricted to regions with high ground receiver density. The additional incorporation of space-based GPS data from LEO satellites allows the monitoring in areas less densely covered by ground receivers. We present a case study of 3-dimensional reconstruction for Nov. 2001 in the North polar region. Input data are calibrated TEC derived from IGS and CHAMP measurements. The results show increased electron densities near the geomagnetic pole. The comparison of the reconstruction results with measurements of the Langmuir Probe onboard CHAMP shows a good agreement along the CHAMP orbit. The large-scale structure of the ionospheric observations are closely related to the present geomagnetic conditions. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.