An evaluation of the positioning ability of the real-time ionosphere-free single-frequency precise point positioning technique in the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions under different ionospheric scintillations

Abstract

This contribution presents an evaluation of the positioning ability of the real-time (RT) ionosphere-free (IF) single-frequency precise point positioning (SF-PPP) technique in Arctic and Antarctic under different auroral activities. Firstly, Global Positioning System (GPS)-only observations obtained from International GNSS Service (IGS) stations in the Arctic were evaluated with RT IF SF-PPP under all possible auroral activities. Then, a series of kinematic experiments were conducted using a zodiac boat on Livingston Island, located on the Antarctic Peninsula, under different auroral activities. Observations from the kinematic experiments were also evaluated using the RT IF SF-PPP. The outcomes indicate that the IF SF-PPP approach is not affected by ionospheric activities. Furthermore, the results reveal that the RT IF SF-PPP provides dm- and m-level positioning accuracy for horizontal and vertical components, respectively. The findings demonstrate that the RT IF SF-PPP technique can be reliably employed in real-time navigation applications in the Arctic and Antarctic.