Work

The total failures of GPS functioning caused by the powerful solar radio burst on December 13, 2006

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: We investigated failures in the GPS performance produced by extremely dense solar radio burst fluxes associated with the intense (X3.4 in GOES classification) solar flare and Halo CME recorded by SOHO/LASCO on December 13, 2006. According to substantial experimental evidence, high-precision GPS positioning on the entire sunlit side of the Earth was partially disrupted for more than 12–15 min; the high level of GPS slips resulted from the wideband solar radio noise emission. Our results are in agreement with the data obtained recently for the extreme solar radio burst on December 6, 2006, and provide a sound basis for revising the role of space weather factors in the functioning of state-of-the-art satellite systems and for taking a more thorough account of these factors in their development and operation.

Source: Earth Planets and Space

DOI: 10.1186/bf03352940

Authors: E. L. Afraimovich, V. V. Demyanov, G. Ya. Smolkov

Institutions: Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics

Language: English

Topic: GNSS positioning and interference

Subfield: Aerospace Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $1,640

Funders: Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences