GNSS Observations for Remote Sensing in the Arctic

Abstract

In a series of expeditions to the Arctic, high-rate observation data of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have been acquired. These expeditions include the cruises of research vessels Lance, Polarstern and Kronprins Haakon in a period between 2016 and 2021. The observations are designated for remote sensing and allow application for ionospheric monitoring (scintillation indices) and sea-ice characterization (signal reflection power). The objective of our ongoing studies is to develop new pathways for these applications with ships operating in the Arctic. The global coverage of GNSS observations, including the Arctic, give us the opportunity to extend existing observing systems for a better understanding of the exceptional Arctic environment in terms of space weather and sea-ice evolution. Current investigations aim to validate GNSS-based sea ice monitoring for different seasonal conditions, and to examine the space weather impact on GNSS reflection power estimates for long-term monitoring in the Arctic. Different GNSS receiver types, designated for reflectometry, scintillation detection and atmosphere sounding, were used. The data comprise cruises to Fram Strait (in 2016 and 2017), to the Central Arctic in 2019/20 during the one-year MOSAiC expedition (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) and seasonal cruises to Barents Sea in 2021 within the Norwegian Nansen Legacy project.