Solar Radio Burst Events on 6 September 2017 and Its Impact on GNSS Signal Frequencies. Issue 6 (7th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sato, H.; Jakowski, N.; Berdermann, J.; Jiricka, K.; Heßelbarth, A.; Banyś, D.; Wilken, V.
• Is Part Of: Space weather. Volume 17:Issue 6(2019)
• Page Start: 816
• Page End: 826
• Publication Date: 2019-06-07
• Subjects: solar radio bursts -- solar flare -- GNSS -- satellite positioning; Space environment -- Periodicals; 551.509992
• DOI: 10.1029/2019SW002198
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1542-7390

Abstract

Abstract: During the intense solar radio bursts on 6 September 2017, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signal interferences were observed at ground stations in the European longitude sector from 20°N to 70°N for all GNSS satellites in view including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. The solar radio noise reduced the signal‐to‐noise ratio with clear frequency dependence. The impact of the radio burst has been found at L2 and L5 frequencies, but not at L1 frequency. The ground observation of the solar radio spectrum between 1.0 and 2.0 GHz corresponds well to such frequency dependence. The maximum signal‐to‐noise ratio reduction of ‐10 dB was found when the solar radio flux was pulsating around 2, 000 solar flux unit level. Precise point positioning results show that accuracy is reduced with stronger deviation for dual‐frequency solutions than for single‐frequency solutions based on L1 signal only. The positioning error refers rather to the solar extreme ultraviolet flare than to solar radio interferences. The results presented here are a clear indication of frequency‐dependent GNSS performance degradation during strong space weather events. Plain Language Summary: The sun occasionally emits strong radio waves during the evolution of active solar regions. This phenomenon was observed on 6 September 2017 around noon. We studied how solar radio waves can affect GPS signals. We found that the solar radio waves affected a subset of GPS frequencies and considered its influences on GPS‐based applications. This study helps to understand the impact of solar radio bursts on satellite signals. Key Points: Strong L‐band solar radio bursts associated with a severe solar flare interfered with GNSS signal frequencies at L2/L5 The observed GNSS SNR reduction due to the radio bursts is not considered as the primary source of signal tracking loss Dual‐frequency positioning was more affected than single‐frequency positioning