Multichannel GPS Receiver
The Leica GRX1230 is a scientific-grade multichannel GPS receiver, but it is not here to tell us where we are. Instead, it serves as a research instrument for studying the upper atmosphere.
By precisely timing the arrival of signals from multiple GPS satellites simultaneously, the instrument can detect subtle delays caused by the ionosphere, the electrically charged layer of Earth's atmosphere stretching from about 60 to 1,000 kilometers in altitude. These delays are directly related to the density of free electrons along the signal path, a quantity known as Total Electron Content, or TEC. By measuring TEC continuously, the instrument can track how plasma density in the upper atmosphere changes over time in response to the time of day, the season, atmospheric water vapor, and most significantly, solar activity. It is also employed to measure the horizontal component of gravity waves propagating through the atmosphere.
The GPS receiver and antenna were installed on November 6, 2008. A data feed to the internet was successfully established on December 2, 2008, following reconfiguration of the receiver by Leica. The system has been operating continuously ever since, recording new readings at 2-second intervals around the clock.
The antenna is located at 40° 54' 26.57715" N, 74° 55' 31.24197" W as reported by the instrument itself.
By precisely timing the arrival of signals from multiple GPS satellites simultaneously, the instrument can detect subtle delays caused by the ionosphere, the electrically charged layer of Earth's atmosphere stretching from about 60 to 1,000 kilometers in altitude. These delays are directly related to the density of free electrons along the signal path, a quantity known as Total Electron Content, or TEC. By measuring TEC continuously, the instrument can track how plasma density in the upper atmosphere changes over time in response to the time of day, the season, atmospheric water vapor, and most significantly, solar activity. It is also employed to measure the horizontal component of gravity waves propagating through the atmosphere.
The GPS receiver and antenna were installed on November 6, 2008. A data feed to the internet was successfully established on December 2, 2008, following reconfiguration of the receiver by Leica. The system has been operating continuously ever since, recording new readings at 2-second intervals around the clock.
The antenna is located at 40° 54' 26.57715" N, 74° 55' 31.24197" W as reported by the instrument itself.
