Global ionospheric maps : estimation and assessment in post-processing and real-time

The research of this paper-based dissertation is focused on Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) generation and assessment. In summary, the novelty and thematic unity in this works relies on four different but complementary topics: 1. Defining a systematic procedure to validate and quantify the quality of GIMs based on independent data sources or techniques. 2. Applying this methodology to not only the GIMs computed at UPC, but also to most of the currently open accessible GIMs inside the scientific community. 3.Including newly available Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data to the processing of UPC's GIMs. 4. Assessment and distribution also of real-time GIMs. More in detail, my first contribution has been to the definition of a complete GIM validation procedure. This procedure is based on two methods: direct VTEC (Vertical Total Electron Content) altimeter and GNSS difference of slant TEC (Total Electron Content), both of them giving complementary information of the GIM performance. The main advantage of using satellite altimeter data is the fact that we are using a truly independent information source with regard to the input data used for GIM generation. This allows assessing the TEC from a entirely different point-of-view, fully different and independent to any error that may affect GNSS systems and its processing. The second technique, relies on using the same type of input data but in this case from permanent GNSS stations not participating in the GIM generation. The main advantages of this second technique is twofold: first, it allows to asses the GIMs on land; and second its a low latency direct assessment of the GIM, given a more direct information about the processing and interpolation done with the GNSS input data. Afterwards, a second contribution has been to use the previously defined methodology to validate all the GIMs generated by the International GNSS Service (IGS) Associated Analysis Centers (IAAC), and some other candidates to join them, for a more than a full solar cycle (starting from end of 2001 to beginning of 2017). As a side result, it is also demonstrated that while the time interval of the GIM has little influence on its overall quality, the interpolation technique used by the IAACs has an important role. Finally, this work also lead to the acceptance of the previously mentioned IAAC candidates since it demonstrated the good quality of their GIMs. Another contribution has been, as part of the European GRC project, improving the currently in production UPC's TOMION (TOMographic IONospheric) software used to generate the UQRG (UPC's rapid GIM) map. The software input source data was restricted to GPS L1 and L2. Now it allows processing all current frequencies available for GPS, Galileo and Beidou. This software has been internally tested for some specific days with the previously explained altimeter method giving results with improved quality for specific combinations of GNSS systems and frequencies. Using this work flow but focused on single frequency processing, a last article was published analysing the ionospheric footprint of the solar eclipse over North America during 2017. Finally, another contribution has been to improve the data acquisition and distribution system for the real-time GIM generation processing chain. Furthermore, as part of UPC contribution to the Real Time Ionospheric Monitoring Working Group (RTIM-WG) of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and following the previously explained methodology, an assessment of the GIMs generated by the members of this sub-commission have been performed. As a result of all these efforts, UPC has been leading inside the IGS frame, and made a first implementation, of a new real-time combined map.