By: Dustin Hoaglin MADE TO MEASURE NEWS | VECTORSEDU | October 2024

Conquering Geomagnetic Storms: The Role of Trimble’s IonoGuard™ Technology

Introduction

In recent years, geomagnetic storms caused by solar activity have posed significant challenges to GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) operations. These disturbances can lead to positioning inaccuracies and disruptions in services reliant on GNSS signals. Trimble’s innovative IonoGuard™ technology has emerged as a critical solution to mitigate these effects, ensuring reliable and accurate GNSS performance even during severe ionospheric conditions. This article explores the impact of geomagnetic storms on GNSS, the technology behind IonoGuard, and its real-world applications and benefits.

The Impact of Geomagnetic Storms on GNSS

Geomagnetic storms, resulting from solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can significantly disrupt GNSS signals. These disturbances affect the ionosphere, the layer of Earth’s atmosphere that reflects and modifies radio waves used for satellite communication and navigation. The most severe geomagnetic storms can cause signal delays, increased noise, and even complete signal loss, leading to considerable challenges for industries dependent on precise GNSS data.

Key Effects:

Signal Delays: Ionospheric disturbances can delay GNSS signals, leading to inaccuracies in position calculations.
Increased Noise: Enhanced ionospheric activity can introduce noise into GNSS signals, degrading the quality and reliability of data.
Signal Loss: In extreme cases, geomagnetic storms can cause a total loss of GNSS signals, halting operations that rely on real-time positioning.

The Solar Cycle 25, which is expected to peak around 2025, has brought renewed attention to these challenges, prompting the need for advanced solutions to ensure uninterrupted GNSS performance.

The Most Significant Solar Activity Since 2003

The May 10, 2024, geomagnetic storm reached a G5 level, the most intense solar event since 2003. The storm’s severity was evident in its impact, making headlines and causing widespread disruptions. This period of heightened solar activity, linked to Solar Cycle 25, highlights the importance of robust GNSS technology to maintain operational integrity. According to the USGS Geomagnetism Program, the recent solar storm was the most significant in over two decades, painting the night sky with vivid auroras and demonstrating the dramatic effects of such geomagnetic phenomena on satellite communications and navigation systems. The 2003 event similarly caused substantial disruptions, underlining the cyclical nature of solar activity and its impact on GNSS.

NASA’s Tracking of the Solar Storm

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a solar flare on May 14, 2024, which was part of a series of solar events during the first week of May.

This storm produced the strongest auroras in decades, visible as far south as the southern U.S. and northern India. Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, acting director of NASA’s Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office, emphasized that this event would help “test the limits of our models and understanding of solar storms.” The storm resulted in significant GNSS signal disruptions, affecting power grids and satellite operations. NASA’s monitoring and analysis of these events, including the tracking of 82 notable solar flares and multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs), provided critical data to understand and mitigate the impact of such storms on GNSS and other technologies. Future missions like NASA’s Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) and Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (DYNAMIC) will enhance our understanding of space weather and its effects on Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Introducing Trimble IonoGuard™

Trimble IonoGuard™ is designed to address the disruptions caused by ionospheric disturbances. Leveraging decades of data collection and engineering development, IonoGuard™ continuously monitors ionospheric conditions and adjusts the GNSS positioning engine to maintain accurate and reliable measurements.

Core Features:

Real-Time Monitoring: IonoGuard™ tracks ionospheric disturbances in real-time, identifying and quantifying their impact on GNSS signals.
Adaptive Algorithms: The technology uses sophisticated algorithms to adjust the GNSS positioning engine based on the current ionospheric conditions, ensuring consistent performance.
Multi-Satellite Analysis: IonoGuard™ evaluates signals from multiple satellites, selecting the best ones to form an optimal positioning solution.

Real-World Applications and Benefits

Field Testing in Northern Alberta: In a recent field test during a G5-level geomagnetic storm, IonoGuard™ demonstrated its effectiveness in maintaining RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) fixed solutions. At a site in Northern Alberta, Canada, GNSS receivers equipped with IonoGuard™ maintained RTK-fixed mode throughout the storm, whereas receivers without this feature struggled and dropped below 91% operation.

Impact Across Different Regions: While the storm had significant effects in polar and mid-latitude regions, its impact was less pronounced in equatorial areas. In Denver, Colorado, for instance, operational GNSS shutdowns were reported, but IonoGuard-enabled receivers continued to function effectively.

Agricultural and Construction Applications: During the peak planting season, accurate GNSS is crucial for guiding farming tractors. Similarly, construction projects rely on precise positioning data. The IonoGuard™ technology ensures that these operations can continue without interruption, even during severe geomagnetic storms.

Preparing for the Future: Solar Cycle 25

With Solar Cycle 25 expected to bring increased solar activity, the importance of robust GNSS technology cannot be overstated. Trimble’s IonoGuard™ is poised to play a vital role in maintaining GNSS reliability, providing users with the confidence to operate in any conditions.

Firmware Updates: Trimble advises users to update their base station firmware to incorporate the latest IonoGuard™ enhancements. These updates are crucial for optimizing performance and mitigating the effects of upcoming solar activity.

Conclusion

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on GNSS for a variety of applications, the challenges posed by geomagnetic storms must be addressed with innovative solutions. Trimble’s IonoGuard™ technology offers a proactive approach to maintaining GNSS accuracy and reliability, ensuring that users can operate without disruption, regardless of ionospheric conditions. By leveraging decades of research and advanced engineering, IonoGuard™ sets a new standard in GNSS resilience, providing peace of mind in an era of heightened solar activity.

By understanding and preparing for the challenges posed by geomagnetic storms, Trimble continues to lead the way in GNSS technology, ensuring that users worldwide can depend on their systems in any condition.

For more information on Trimble IonoGuard™ and to stay updated on the latest advancements, visit Trimble’s IonoGuard™ Technology page and read the Trimble News Release.

References

Trimble IonoGuard™ Technology
Earth’s Free Light Show Causes Chaos for Some, but Not for Trimble Customers
Solar Cycle 25 and GNSS
Trimble Advises Base Station Firmware Update Due to Solar Flares
USGS Geomagnetism Program Study on Magnetic Disturbance
NASA’s Tracking of the Solar Storm

Dustin Hoaglin,PLS is a Trimble Certified Trainer, Regional Manager, and TBC Power User for Vectors Inc. and is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Originally published in Side Shots (Publication of the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado), Vol. 55, No. 3, August 2024. You may view the full publication here.

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