Detection of meteorological inconsistencies by GPS

Abstract

GPS observations, distances from satellites to receivers and meteorological conditions in neutral atmosphere are known to obey a constraint, which provides a residual or in other words a quality index. A method is discussed which provides a residual epoch by epoch in near real time. In general, distribution of residuals during several consecutive epochs belonging to the same satellites, allows estimates of a mean and a standard deviation of mean. Under normal meteorological conditions distribution of residuals appears to be consistent with zero mean as expected. However, consecutive residuals sometimes appear to have a mean different from zero by more than three standard deviations of mean. Such signifi cant consecutive epochs provide a warning of existing inconsistencies among GPS observations, distances from satellites to receivers as obtained by orbital information, meteorological conditions above receivers (as obtained by ground measurements or by extrapolation of meteorological analysis). A procedure has been set up which warns about these inconsistencies in near real time.