Correction of single frequency altimeter measurements for ionosphere delay
- Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
Satellite altimetry has become a very powerful tool for the study of ocean circulation and variability and provides data for understanding important issues related to climate and global change. This study is a preliminary analysis of the accuracy of various ionosphere models to correct single frequency altimeter height measurements for ionospheric path delay. In particular, research focused on adjusting empirical and parameterized ionosphere models in the parameterized real-time ionospheric specification model (PRISM) 1.2 using total electron content (TEC) data from the global positioning system (GPS). The types of GPS data used to adjust PRISM included GPS line-of-sight (LOS) TEC data mapped to the vertical, and a grid of GPS derived TEC data in a sun-fixed longitude frame. The adjusted PRISM TEC values, as well as predictions by IRI-90, a climatological model, were compared to TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) TEC measurements form the dual-frequency altimeter for a number of T/P tracks. When adjusted with GPS LOS data, the PRISM empirical model predicted TEC over 24 1 h data sets for a given local time to within a global error of 8.60 TECU rms during a midnight centered ionosphere and 9.74 TECU rms during a noon centered ionosphere. Using GPS derived sun-fixed TEC data, the PRISM parameterized model predicted TEC within an error of 8.47 TECU rms centered at midnight and 12.83 TECU rms centered at noon.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 464874
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 35, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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