Ionospheric imaging in Africa

Alex T. Chartier; Joe Kinrade; Cathryn N. Mitchell; Julian A. R. Rose; David R. Jackson; Pierre Cilliers; John-Bosco Habarulema; Zama Katamzi; Lee-Anne McKinnell; Tshimangadzo Matamba; Ben Opperman; Nicholas Ssessanga; Nigussie Mezgebe Giday; Vumile Tyalimpi; Giorgiana De Franceschi; Vincenzo Romano; Carlo Scotto; Riccardo Notarpietro; Fabio Dovis; Eugene Avenant; Richard Wonnacott; Elijah Oyeyemi; Ayman Mahrous; Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu; Harvey Lekamisy; Joseph Ouko Olwendo; Patrick Sibanda; Tsegaye Kassa Gogie; Babatunde Rabiu; Kees De Jong; Adekola Adewale

doi:10.1002/2013RS005238

Ionospheric imaging in Africa

Alex T. Chartier, Joe Kinrade, Cathryn N. Mitchell, Julian A. R. Rose, David R. Jackson, Pierre Cilliers, John-Bosco Habarulema, Zama Katamzi, Lee-Anne McKinnell, Tshimangadzo Matamba, Ben Opperman, Nicholas Ssessanga, Nigussie Mezgebe Giday, Vumile Tyalimpi, Giorgiana De Franceschi, Vincenzo Romano, Carlo Scotto, Riccardo Notarpietro, Fabio Dovis, Eugene AvenantRichard Wonnacott, Elijah Oyeyemi, Ayman Mahrous, Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu, Harvey Lekamisy, Joseph Ouko Olwendo, Patrick Sibanda, Tsegaye Kassa Gogie, Babatunde Rabiu, Kees De Jong, Adekola Adewale

Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering

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Abstract

Accurate ionospheric specification is necessary for improving human activities such as radar detection, navigation, and Earth observation. This is of particular importance in Africa, where strong plasma density gradients exist due to the equatorial ionization anomaly. In this paper the accuracy of three-dimensional ionospheric images is assessed over a 2 week test period (2-16 December 2012). These images are produced using differential Global Positioning System (GPS) slant total electron content observations and a time-dependent tomography algorithm. The test period is selected to coincide with a period of increased GPS data availability from the African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) project. A simulation approach that includes the addition of realistic errors is employed in order to provide a ground truth. Results show that the inclusion of observations from the AFREF archive significantly reduces ionospheric specification errors across the African sector, especially in regions that are poorly served by the permanent network of GPS receivers. The permanent network could be improved by adding extra sites and by reducing the number of service outages that affect the existing sites.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	19-27
Number of pages	9
Journal	Radio Science
Volume	49
Issue number	1
Early online date	11 Dec 2013
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2013RS005238
Publication status	Published - 8 Jan 2014

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10.1002/2013RS005238Licence: CC BY

Precise-timing Applications for GPS
Mitchell, C. (PI)
Science and Technology Facilities Council
6/07/10 → 5/07/11
Project: Research council
GAARDIAN - GNSS Availability, Accuracy, Reliability and Integrity Assessment for Timing and Navigation
Mitchell, C. (PI) & Watson, R. (CoI)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/10/08 → 31/03/11
Project: Research council
INVERT - A CENTRE FOR IMAGING SCIENCE
Mitchell, C. (PI)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/10/06 → 31/12/11
Project: Research council

Cathryn Mitchell
- C.N.Mitchellbath.acuk
Person: Research & Teaching, Core staff, Affiliate staff

Cite this

Chartier, A. T., Kinrade, J., Mitchell, C. N., Rose, J. A. R., Jackson, D. R., Cilliers, P., Habarulema, J.-B., Katamzi, Z., McKinnell, L.-A., Matamba, T., Opperman, B., Ssessanga, N., Giday, N. M., Tyalimpi, V., De Franceschi, G., Romano, V., Scotto, C., Notarpietro, R., Dovis, F., ... Adewale, A. (2014). Ionospheric imaging in Africa. Radio Science, 49(1), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013RS005238

Chartier, AT, Kinrade, J, Mitchell, CN, Rose, JAR, Jackson, DR, Cilliers, P, Habarulema, J-B, Katamzi, Z, McKinnell, L-A, Matamba, T, Opperman, B, Ssessanga, N, Giday, NM, Tyalimpi, V, De Franceschi, G, Romano, V, Scotto, C, Notarpietro, R, Dovis, F, Avenant, E, Wonnacott, R, Oyeyemi, E, Mahrous, A, Tsidu, GM, Lekamisy, H, Olwendo, JO, Sibanda, P, Gogie, TK, Rabiu, B, De Jong, K & Adewale, A 2014, 'Ionospheric imaging in Africa', Radio Science, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 19-27. https://doi.org/10.1002/2013RS005238

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title = "Ionospheric imaging in Africa",

abstract = "Accurate ionospheric specification is necessary for improving human activities such as radar detection, navigation, and Earth observation. This is of particular importance in Africa, where strong plasma density gradients exist due to the equatorial ionization anomaly. In this paper the accuracy of three-dimensional ionospheric images is assessed over a 2 week test period (2-16 December 2012). These images are produced using differential Global Positioning System (GPS) slant total electron content observations and a time-dependent tomography algorithm. The test period is selected to coincide with a period of increased GPS data availability from the African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) project. A simulation approach that includes the addition of realistic errors is employed in order to provide a ground truth. Results show that the inclusion of observations from the AFREF archive significantly reduces ionospheric specification errors across the African sector, especially in regions that are poorly served by the permanent network of GPS receivers. The permanent network could be improved by adding extra sites and by reducing the number of service outages that affect the existing sites.",

author = "Chartier, {Alex T.} and Joe Kinrade and Mitchell, {Cathryn N.} and Rose, {Julian A. R.} and Jackson, {David R.} and Pierre Cilliers and John-Bosco Habarulema and Zama Katamzi and Lee-Anne McKinnell and Tshimangadzo Matamba and Ben Opperman and Nicholas Ssessanga and Giday, {Nigussie Mezgebe} and Vumile Tyalimpi and {De Franceschi}, Giorgiana and Vincenzo Romano and Carlo Scotto and Riccardo Notarpietro and Fabio Dovis and Eugene Avenant and Richard Wonnacott and Elijah Oyeyemi and Ayman Mahrous and Tsidu, {Gizaw Mengistu} and Harvey Lekamisy and Olwendo, {Joseph Ouko} and Patrick Sibanda and Gogie, {Tsegaye Kassa} and Babatunde Rabiu and {De Jong}, Kees and Adekola Adewale",

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AU - Jackson, David R.

AU - Cilliers, Pierre

AU - Habarulema, John-Bosco

AU - Katamzi, Zama

AU - McKinnell, Lee-Anne

AU - Matamba, Tshimangadzo

AU - Opperman, Ben

AU - Ssessanga, Nicholas

AU - Giday, Nigussie Mezgebe

AU - Tyalimpi, Vumile

AU - De Franceschi, Giorgiana

AU - Romano, Vincenzo

AU - Scotto, Carlo

AU - Notarpietro, Riccardo

AU - Dovis, Fabio

AU - Avenant, Eugene

AU - Wonnacott, Richard

AU - Oyeyemi, Elijah

AU - Mahrous, Ayman

AU - Tsidu, Gizaw Mengistu

AU - Lekamisy, Harvey

AU - Olwendo, Joseph Ouko

AU - Sibanda, Patrick

AU - Gogie, Tsegaye Kassa

AU - Rabiu, Babatunde

AU - De Jong, Kees

AU - Adewale, Adekola

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AB - Accurate ionospheric specification is necessary for improving human activities such as radar detection, navigation, and Earth observation. This is of particular importance in Africa, where strong plasma density gradients exist due to the equatorial ionization anomaly. In this paper the accuracy of three-dimensional ionospheric images is assessed over a 2 week test period (2-16 December 2012). These images are produced using differential Global Positioning System (GPS) slant total electron content observations and a time-dependent tomography algorithm. The test period is selected to coincide with a period of increased GPS data availability from the African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) project. A simulation approach that includes the addition of realistic errors is employed in order to provide a ground truth. Results show that the inclusion of observations from the AFREF archive significantly reduces ionospheric specification errors across the African sector, especially in regions that are poorly served by the permanent network of GPS receivers. The permanent network could be improved by adding extra sites and by reducing the number of service outages that affect the existing sites.

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Ionospheric imaging in Africa

Abstract

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Projects

Precise-timing Applications for GPS

GAARDIAN - GNSS Availability, Accuracy, Reliability and Integrity Assessment for Timing and Navigation

INVERT - A CENTRE FOR IMAGING SCIENCE

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Cathryn Mitchell

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