Impact of Radio Frequency Interference on GNSS Ionospheric Scintillation Data Analysis

Abstract

Ionospheric scintillation has seriously adverse impacts on the propagation of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals and can cause signals received by GNSS receiver to fade. Therefore, it is important to study the characteristics of the occurrence and variations of GNSS ionospheric scintillation. In the analysis of single-frequency GNSS ionospheric scintillation data, radio frequency interference may be misjudged as amplitude scintillation because radio frequency interference may cause large values of the amplitude scintillation index S4 for the received GNSS signal. In order to minimize the impact of radio frequency interference on GNSS ionospheric scintillation data analysis, ionospheric scintillation measurements of the raw signal power (or carrier-to-noise density ratio) at multiple GNSS frequencies should be used to study the characteristics of the occurrence and variations of GNSS ionospheric scintillation.