The ionospheric condition and GPS positioning performance during the 2013 tropical cyclone Usagi event in the Hong Kong region

The ionosphere plays a critical role in the electromagnetic waves in communication systems such as the global positioning system (GPS). However, it is suspected that the strong convection during the tropical cyclone (TC) events can be a trigger to anomalous electron density variation in the ionosphere. This study analyzed the variation of three ionosphere-related parameters based on the GPS data including scintillation index S4, cycle slips, and total electron content (TEC) rate (TECR) during the tropical cyclone event (the 2013 TC Usagi) in the Hong Kong region. The results showed that the ionosphere-related parameters had a consistent significant increase on the second day after the Usagi made landfall near Hong Kong. Consequently, the positioning performance of GPS precise point positioning (PPP) and relative positioning modes was degraded. The degradation was similar to 138%, similar to 181%, and similar to 460% in the east (root mean square (RMS) 0.050 m), north (RMS 0.045 m), and up (RMS 0.185 m), respectively, compared with the RMS of 0.021 m in the east, 0.016 m in the north, and 0.033 m in the up on the normal day. Regarding the relative positioning, the positioning errors in the east (RMS 0.134 m) and north (RMS 0.118 m) directions were similar to 7.1 and similar to 7.9 times, respectively, as large as the RMS of 0.019 m in the east and 0.015 m in the north on the normal day. The positioning errors in the up (RMS 0.513 m) direction were similar to 12.2 times larger than the RMS of 0.042 m on the normal day.

Automated summary

Analysis of GPS data during the 2013 TC Usagi event in Hong Kong revealed significant increases in ionosphere-related parameters, leading to degraded positioning performance in both PPP and relative positioning modes. Specifically, positioning errors in the east, north, and up directions were significantly larger compared to normal days.