Assessment of GNSS stations using atmospheric horizontal gradients and microwave radiometry

Journal article, 2023

We have assessed the quality of four co-located GNSS stations by studying time series of estimated linear horizontal gradients in the signal delay. The stations have different electromagnetic environments. We also examine the consistency of the results by using two different GNSS softwares, GipsyX and c5++, and applying three different elevation cutoff angles: 5°, 10°, and 20°. The estimated gradients are compared with the corresponding ones estimated from microwave radiometer observations acquired during six months (April–September 2021). For all four stations and using both softwares we find that is is possible to track gradient variations over time scales from less than one hour using GPS observations only. We have indications that it is an advantage to equip the area below the GNSS antenna with microwave absorbing material. However, the differences are small, a reduction in rms differences in the gradients compared to those from the microwave radiometer of less than 2 %. More studies are needed to decide if such an investment is reasonable in terms of cost and maintenance.