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The variation of the estimated GPS instrumental bias and its possible connection with ionospheric variability

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Abstract

Based on the analysis of the satellite DCB data estimated by our method and the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) from 1999 to 2011, the features of the temporal variation of differential code biases (DCB) are studied. Summarily, there are three types of variations in DCB on different time scales. The first one is the day-to-day variation that exhibits more obviously in solar maximum years. The second one is the variation with about one year periodic variation that behaves more obviously from 1999 to 2004. The last one is the monotonously descending tendency from 1999 to 2010. Considering the basic ionospheric approximation in DCB estimation method, the features of the variability of the ionospheric morphology from 1999 to 2010 are also displayed based on the ionospheric characteristic parameters. It can be concluded that the day-to-day and annual variation of the estimated global positioning system (GPS). DCB is related to the ionospheric variability. The variation of DCBs on solar cycle time scale includes the real hardware DCBs and pseudo-DCBs induced by ionospheric variation. No doubt, these kinds of “pseudo” variations of DCB will affect the precision of ionospheric total electron content (TEC) derived from the GPS data. In addition, this study is helpful for evaluating the influence of ionospheric weather on TEC derivation and is also useful for developing one estimation method of DCB with more stability and precision through introducing a more practical ionospheric model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geophysics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    DongHe Zhang, Hao Shi, YaQi Jin, YongQiang Hao & Zuo Xiao

  2. Department of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, 4400, New Brunswick, Canada

    Wei Zhang

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  1. DongHe Zhang
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  2. Hao Shi
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  3. YaQi Jin
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  4. Wei Zhang
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  6. Zuo Xiao
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Correspondence to DongHe Zhang.

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Zhang, D., Shi, H., Jin, Y. et al. The variation of the estimated GPS instrumental bias and its possible connection with ionospheric variability. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 57, 67–79 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-013-5419-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-013-5419-7

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