GPS/GNSS Solutions

Meteorology

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based positioning system now widely used for navigation, relative positioning, and time transfer. However, as GPS signals pass through the Earth's atmosphere Precipitable Water Vapor slows them. This fact presents a challenge in many applications, but can be used by meteorologists to improve their weather models.

In an effort to increase accuracy and reduce cost in measuring atmospheric water vapor to create weather forecasts, meteorologist use GPS. Unlike other techniques used to take these measurements, GPS is an "all-weather" system in that the results are unaffected by rainfall, clouds or other torrential conditions.

GPS offers an attractive meteorological sensor with the ability to measure Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV). The concept of this Earth-based GPS meteorology evolved from the realization that atmospheric delays of GPS signals, thought of by others as a nuisance, are a valuable source of information on atmospheric water vapor content for Meteorologists.

Information on atmospheric water vapor is essential in predicting global climate changes and rainfall phenomena. Prediction of the global warming must be based on precise knowledge of the global content of atmospheric water vapor because of its strong green house effect. Water vapor information with high space-time resolution is also required for the prediction of localized torrential rains, which often cause serious damage.

Magellan offers a range of cost-effective GPS solutions to provide the necessary resolution to perform these studies and predictions.