The quality of velocities from GNSS campaign measurements when gaps in data exist

In this study, we investigate the effect of gaps in data on the accuracy of deformation rates produced from GNSS campaign measurements. Our motivation in investigating gaps in data is that campaign GNSS time series might not be collected regularly due to various constraints in real life conditions. We used the baseline components produced from continuous GPS time series of JPL, NASA from a global network of the IGS to generate data gaps. The solutions of the IGS continuous GNSS time series were decimated to the solutions of the campaign data sampled one measurement per each month or three measurements per year. Furthermore, the effect of antenna set-up errors, which show Gaussian distribution, in campaign measurements was taken into account following the suggestions from the literature. The number of gaps in campaign GNSS time series was incremented plus one for each different trial until only one month is left within the specific year. Eventually, we tested whether the velocities obtained from GNSS campaign series containing data gaps differ significantly from the velocities derived from continuous data which is taken as to be the “truth”. The initial efforts using the samples from a restricted amount of data reveal that the deformation rate produced from the east component is more sensitive to the gaps in data than that of the components north and vertical.

Keywords: GPS time series; GPS campaigns; Velocity estimation; Gaps in data; Deformation.