University of New BrunswickGeodesy and Geomatics Engineering

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GPS for Geodesy

Table of Contents





Preface
Table of Contents
Introduction                                                    1


1.   REFERENCE SYSTEMS  Yehuda Bock                             3

1.1  Introduction                                               3
     1.1.1 Basic GPS Model                                      4
     1.1.2 The Fundamental Polyhedron                           5

1.2  Transformation Between the CRF and TRF                     6

1.3  Time Systems                                               8
     1.3.1 Atomic Time                                          9
     1.3.2 Dynamical Time                                      10
     1.3.3 Sidereal and Universal Time                         11

1.4  Motion of the Earth's Rotation Axis                       12
     1.4.1 Motion in Celestial System                          13
     1.4.2 Motion in Terrestrial System                        15

1.5  Earth Deformation                                         18
     1.5.1 Rotation vs. Deformation                            18
     1.5.2 Global Plate Motion                                 20
     1.5.3 Tidal Effects                                       21
     1.5.4 Regional and Local Effects                          24
     1.5.5 Non-Physical Effects                                24

1.6  Conventional Reference Systems                            25
     1.6.1 International Earth Rotation Service (IERS)         25
     1.6.2 Celestial Reference System                          25
     1.6.3 Terrestrial Reference System                        26
     1.6.4 Transformation Between ICRF and ITRF                27
     1.6.5 WGS 84                                              27
     1.6.6 Ellipsoidal and Local Frames                        28
     1.6.7 Similarity Transformation                           29

1.7  The IGS                                                   30

1.8  Summary                                                   32

Acknowledgements                                               32
References                                                     34


2.   GPS SATELLITE ORBITS  Gerhard Beutler                     37

2.1  Introduction                                              37

2.2  Equations of Motion for GPS                               40
     2.2.1 The Keplerian Elements                              40
     2.2.2 Equations of Motion in Rectangular Coordinates      44
     2.2.3 The Perturbation Equations in the Elements          51
     2.2.4 Mean Elements                                       59
     2.2.5 The Parametrization of Satellite Orbits,
           Linearization of the Orbit Determination Problem    68
     2.2.6 Numerical Integration                               71

2.3  The Perturbing Forces Acting on GPS Satellites            79
     2.3.1 Overview                                            79
     2.3.2 The Radiation Pressure Models                       79
     2.3.3 Resonance Effects in GPS Satellite Orbits           81
     2.3.4 Development of the Satellite Orbits Since mid 1992  85

2.4  GPS Orbit Types                                           92
     2.4.1 Broadcast and Precise Orbits                        92
     2.4.2 The IGS Orbits                                      93
     2.4.3 Propagation of Orbit Errors into Baselines and
           Networks                                            95

2.5  Summary and Conclusions                                   97

Acknowledgements                                               99
References                                                     99


3.   PROPAGATION OF THE GPS SIGNALS  Richard B. Langley       103

3.1  Introduction                                             103

3.2  Electromagnetic Waves                                    103

3.3  The GPS Signals                                          106
     3.3.1 The Carriers                                       107
     3.3.2 The Codes                                          108
     3.3.3 The Broadcast Message                              110
     3.3.4 Binary Biphase Modulation                          111
     3.3.5 The GPS Satellite Clocks and Time                  111
     3.3.6 Polarisation                                       112
     3.3.7 Putting it all Together                            112

3.4  Propagation of Signals in Refractive Media               114
     3.4.1 Refractive Index                                   114
     3.4.2 Phase Delay and Group Delay                        116

3.5  Atmospheric Refraction                                   117
     3.5.1 Troposphere                                        117
     3.5.2 Ionosphere                                         126

3.6  Signal Multipath and Scattering                          132
     3.6.1 Multipath                                          132
     3.6.2 Scattering                                         134

3.7  Summary                                                  135

Acknowledgements                                              135
References                                                    135


4.   GPS RECEIVERS AND THE OBSERVABLES  Richard B. Langley    141

4.1  Introduction                                             141

4.2  GPS Receivers                                            143
     4.2.1 The Building Blocks                                142

4.3  GPS Observables                                          151
     4.3.1 The Pseudorange                                    151
     4.3.2 The Carrier Phase                                  154
     4.3.3 Data Recording                                     155

4.4  Observation Measurement Errors                           156
     4.4.1 Thermal Noise                                      166
     4.4.2 Other Measurement Errors                           171

4.5  Summary                                                  172

References                                                    172


5.   GPS OBSERVATION EQUATIONS AND POSITIONING CONCEPTS
     Peter J. G. Teunissen and Alfred Kleusberg               176

5.1  Introduction                                             176

5.2  GPS Observables                                          176
     5.2.1 The Pseudorange                                    177
     5.2.2 The Carrier Phase                                  180

5.3  Linear Combinations                                      182
     5.3.1 Single Receiver, Single Satellite, Single Epoch
           Linear Combinations                                182
     5.3.2 Phase Difference Over Time                         186
     5.3.3 Measurement Difference Between Receivers           187
     5.3.4 Measurement Difference Between Satellites          189
     5.3.5 Measurement Difference Between Satellites and
           Receivers                                          190

5.4  Single Receiver Nonpositioning Models                    191
     5.4.1 The Simplified Observation Equations               191
     5.4.2 On Single and Dual Frequency Pseudoranges and
           Carrier Phases                                     193

5.5  The Linearized Observation Equations for Positioning     199
     5.5.1 The Linearization                                  199
     5.5.2 Single-Point Positioning                           201
     5.5.3 Relative Positioning                               203

5.6  Relative Positioning Models                              205
     5.6.1 Relative Positioning Using Pseudoranges            205
     5.6.2 Relative Positioning Using Carrier Phases          207
     5.6.3 On the Slowly Changing Receiver-Satellite Geometry 210

5.7  Summary                                                  216

References                                                    216


6.   SINGLE-SITE GPS MODELS  Clyde C. Goad                    219

6.1  Introduction                                             219

6.2  Pseudorange Relation                                     219
     6.2.1 Calculation of the Distance Term when Using ECF
     Coordinates                                              220
     6.2.2 Linearization                                      222
     6.2.3 Equivalence of the Linear Gauss-Markov Models with
           and Without Nuisance Parameters                    224
     6.2.4 Searching                                          225

6.3  Direct Solution of Position and Receiver Clock Offset -
     Bancroft's Solution (No a Priori Information Regarding
     Position)                                                227
     6.3.1 The Solution                                       228

6.4  Dilution of Precision                                    231

6.5  Combining Phase and Pseudorange for Single-Site
     Determinations                                           233
     6.5.1 Single Frequency Smoothing                         234
     6.5.2 Dual Frequency Smoothing                           234
     6.5.3 Discussion                                         235

6.6  Summary                                                  237

References                                                    237


7.   SHORT DISTANCE GPS MODELS  Clyde C. Goad                 239

7.1  Introduction                                             239

7.2  Short Distance GPS Models                                239
     7.2.1 Double Difference Schemes                          240
     7.2.2 Dynamic Ranges of Double Differences               243
     7.2.3 Use of Pseudoranges                                244
     7.2.4 Dual-Frequency Solutions                           245
     7.2.5 Other Combinations of Dual-Frequency Phases        246
     7.2.6 Effect of the Ionosphere and Troposphere on Short
           Baselines                                          246

7.3  Use of Both Pseudoranges and Phases                      247
     7.3.1 A Review                                           248
     7.3.2 The Three-Measurement Combinations                 251
     7.3.3 Anti-Spoofing?                                     254
     7.3.4 Ambiguity Search                                   254
     7.3.5 Nonstatic / Quasi-Static Situation                 256
     7.3.6 Fast Ambiguity Resolution                          256

7.4  Disadvantages of Double Differences                      257
     7.4.1 Single Differences                                 258

7.5  Sequential Versus Batch Processing                       258

7.6  Network Adjustment - The Final Step                      259

7.7  Summary                                                  261

References                                                    261


8.   GPS CARRIER PHASE AMBIGUITY FIXING CONCEPTS
     Peter J. G. Teunissen                                    263

8.1  Introduction                                             263

8.2  Integer Least-Squares Adjustment and Testing             265
     8.2.1 The Double-Differenced Carrier Phase Observation
           Equations                                          265
     8.2.2 The Float and Fixed Least-Squares Solution         268
     8.2.3 Validating the Float and Fixed Solution            271

8.3  Search for the Integer Least-Squares Ambiguities         278
     8.3.1 The Ambiguity Search Space and its Planes of
           Support                                            278
     8.3.2 Sequential Conditional Least-Squares Ambiguities   282
     8.3.3 On the DD Ambiguity Precision and Correlation      288

8.4  The Invertible Ambiguity Transformations                 295
     8.4.1 The DD Ambiguities are not Unique                  295
     8.4.2 Linear Combinations of the L1 and L2 DD Carrier
           Phases                                             297
     8.4.3 Single-Channel Ambiguity Transformations           302
     8.4.4 Multi-Channel Ambiguity Transformations            305

8.5  The LSQ Ambiguity Decorrelation Adjustment               308
     8.5.1 The Reparametrized Integer Least-Squares Problem   308
     8.5.2 A 2-D Decorrelating Ambiguity Transformation       310
     8.5.3 The Decorrelated Least-Squares Ambiguities         316
     8.5.4 On the GPS Spectra of Ambiguity Conditional
           Variances                                          326

8.6  Summary                                                  330

Acknowledgement                                               332
References                                                    333


9.   MEDIUM DISTANCE GPS MEASUREMENTS  Yehuda Bock            337

9.1  Introduction                                             337
     9.1.1 Definition of Medium Distance                      337
     9.1.2 Unique Aspects of Medium Distance Measurements     338
     9.1.3 Types of Medium Distance Measurements              339

9.2  GPS Models at Medium Distances                           340
     9.2.1 Mathematical and Stochastic Models                 340
     9.2.2 Estimated Parameters                               347

9.3  Analysis Modes                                           349
     9.3.1 Baseline Mode                                      350
     9.3.2 Session Mode                                       350
     9.3.3 Distributed Session Mode                           351
     9.3.4 Point Positioning Mode                             352
     9.3.5 Kinematic and Rapid Static Modes                   353
     9.3.6 Dynamic Mode                                       354

9.4  Network Adjustment                                       354
     9.4.1 Free-Network Quasi-Observation Approach            354
     9.4.2 Integration with other Geodetic Measurements       358
     9.4.3 Software Independent Exchange Format (SINEX)       358
     9.4.4 Estimation Procedures                              359
     9.4.5 Common-Mode Analysis of Adjusted Positions         363

9.5  Case Studies                                             364
     9.5.1 Southern California Permanent GPS Geodetic Array   364
     9.5.2 GPS STORM Experiment for Mapping Atmospheric Water
           Vapor                                              370

9.6  Summary                                                  372

Acknowledgements                                              374
References                                                    375



10.  THE GPS AS A TOOL IN GLOBAL GEODYNAMICS  Gerhard Beutler 379

10.1 Introduction                                             379

10.2 The Partial Derivatives of the GPS Observable with
     Respect to the Parameters of Global Geodynamics          380

10.3 Geodynamical Parameters not Accessible to the GPS        383

10.4 Estimating Tropospheric Refraction                       385

10.5 Miscellaneous Orbit Modeling                             388

10.6 Satellite- and Receiver- Clock Estimation                392

10.7 Producing Annual Solutions                               393

10.8 Results                                                  394
     10.8.1 Earth Rotation Parameters                         394
     10.8.2 Troposphere Parameters                            400
     10.8.3 Station Coordinates and Velocities                400
     10.8.4 The Impact of Ambiguity Resolution on Global GPS
            Analyses                                          404

10.9 Summary                                                  405

Acknowledgements                                              406
References                                                    407