Abstract
Real-time national global positioning system (GPS) networks are being established in a number of countries for atmospheric sensing. The authors, in collaboration with participating universities, are developing one of these networks in the United States. The proposed network, named "SuomiNet" to honor meteorological satellite pioneer Verner Suomi, is funded by the US National Science Foundation to exploit the recently shown ability of ground-based GPS receivers to make thousands of accurate upper and lower atmospheric measurements per day. Phase delays induced in GPS signals by the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere can be measured with high precision simultaneously along a dozen or so GPS ray paths in the field of view. These delays can be converted into integrated water-vapor (if surface pressure data or estimates are available) and total electron content (TEC), along each GPS ray path. The resulting continuous, accurate, all-weather, real-time GPS moisture data will help advance university research in mesoscale modeling and data assimilation, severe weather, precipitation, cloud dynamics, regional climate and hydrology. Similarly, continuous, accurate, all-weather, real-time TEC data have applications in modeling and prediction of severe terrestrial and space weather, detection and forecasting of low-latitude ionospheric scintillation activity and geomagnetic storm effects at ionospheric mid-latitudes, and detection of ionospheric effects induced by a variety of geophysical events. SuomiNet data also have potential applications in coastal meteorology, providing ground truth for satellite radiometry, correction of synthetic aperture radar data for crustal deformation and topography studies, and detection of scintillation associated with atmospheric turbulence in the lower troposphere. In this paper we describe SuomiNet, its applications, and the larger opportunity to coordinate national real-time GPS networks to maximize their scientific and operational impact.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1315-1330 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics |
| Volume | 63 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2001 |
Funding
Support for the preparation of this article was provided by the National Science Foundation (grants EAR-9840963 and ATM-9843214), UCAR, Unidata and UNAVCO. The authors and collaborating universities, with support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), are establishing a national GPS network designed for real-time atmospheric remote sensing. SuomiNet will augment an existing GPS network located primarily in the central US and including approximately 40 federal and university sites ( and ). SuomiNet will use well-established Internet Data Distribution (IDD) software and protocols to coordinate network sensors and distribute its data in real-time (IDD has evolved over more than a decade to provide real-time atmospheric data to university users). SuomiNet will demonstrate the innovative concept of a university-based national geophysical instrument providing critical real-time atmospheric data for research and education. Data observation: Participating universities and research institutions will establish GPS receivers and ancillary equipment at nationally distributed sites. Assistance in GPS equipment specification, procurement, testing, installation, maintenance and data communication will be provided by the UNAVCO Facility (sponsored by the NSF and NASA to develop and support GPS applications in geosciences). Web-based materials already in place will be augmented to assist in these activities. It has extensive experience in GPS equipment testing and procurement, in the development, installation and operation of continuous GPS stations, and in GPS data management (). Typical real-time GPS stations are shown in Figs. 12 and 13 .
Keywords
- Atmospheric sensing
- GPS networks
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geophysics
- Atmospheric Science
- Space and Planetary Science
