Converting GPS height by a new method based on neural networks

The adjusted GPS height is the height above the surface of the WGS-84ellipsoid. It is necessary to convert a GPS height into a normal height in engineering. The conicoidfitting method (CFM) and the neural networks method (NNM) are used for this purpose, but each ofthem has its advantages and disadvantages. After studying these two methods, a new method (abbr.CF&NNM) is conceived. The procedure of the CF&NNM is introduced. A practical engineering example isused to study these three different methods. The results by the three methods are listed. The CF&NNMmethod can produce better results than either the CFM or the NNM in deriving normal height from GPSheight. The theory of the CF&NNM method is analyzed.

The influence of ionospheric thin shell height on TEC retrieval from GPS observation

We investigate the influence of assumed height for the thin shell ionosphere model on the Total Electron Content（TEC） derived from a small scale Global Positioning System（GPS） network. TEC and instrumental bias are determined by applying a grid-based algorithm to the data on several geomagnetically quiet days covering a 10 month period in 2006. Comparisons of TEC and instrumental bias are made among assumed heights from 250 km to 700 km with an interval of 10 km. While the TEC variations with time follow the same trend, TEC tends to increase with the height of the thin shell. The difference in TEC between heights 250 km and 700 km can be as large as～8 TECU in both daytime and nighttime. The times at which the TEC reaches its peak or valley do not vary much with the assumed heights. The instrumental biases, especially bias from the satellite, can vary irregularly with assumed height. Several satellites show a large deviation of～3 ns for heights larger than 550 km. The goodness of fit for different assumed heights is also examined. The data can be generally well-fitted for heights from 350 km to 700 km. A large deviation happens at heights lower than 350 km. Using the grid-based algorithm, there is no consensus on assumed height as related to data fitting. A thin shell height in the range 350-500 km can be a reasonable compromise between data fitting and peak height of the ionosphere.

Measuring boundary-layer height under clear and cloudy conditions using three instruments

Boundary-layer height （BLH） under clear, altostratus and low stratus cloud conditions were measured by GPS sounding, wind profiler radar, and micro-pulse lidar during the atmospheric radiation measurement experiment from Sep. to Dec. 2008 in Shouxian, Anhui, China. Results showed that during daytime or nighttime, regardless of cloud conditions, the GPS sounding was the most accurate method for measuring BLH. Unfortunately, because of the long time gap between launchings, sounding data did not capture the diurnal evolution of the BLH. Thus, wind profile radar emerged as a promising instrument for direct and continuous measurement of the mixing height during the daytime, accurately determining BLH using the structure parameter of the electromagnetic refractive index. However, during nighttime, radar was limited by weak signal extraction and did not work well for determining the BLH of the stable boundary layer, often recording the BLH of the residual layer. While micro-pulse lidar recorded the evolution of BLH, it overestimated the BLH of the stable boundary layer. This method also failed to work under cloudy conditions because of the influence of water vapor. Future work needs to develop a method to determine BLH that combines the complimentary features of all three algorithms.