High-precision tropospheric product processing and meteorological application based on GNSS observations from aerial-based highly dynamic platforms

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is an all-weather, high-precision space geodetic technique that can solve positioning results while providing high-precision tropospheric products. Abundant studies have demonstrated the positive impact of traditional ground-based GNSS on numerical weather prediction using data assimilation tools. As tropospheric profile information is promisingly to satisfy the increasing data demand for improving short-range forecast accuracy, it is very important to obtain and assimilate high accuracy, high spatial and temporal resolution, and three-dimensional GNSS tropospheric products. Fortunately, the aerial vehicle market is booming and represented by unmanned aerial vehicle, providing convenient platforms for obtaining richer GNSS tropospheric products at different position and heights. However, there are still some key challenges in processing and assimilating GNSS tropospheric products from such highly dynamic platforms. In our study, we firstly improve the accuracy of aerial-based GNSS tropospheric products up to millimeter level by applying a new data processing method which optimizes the stochastic constraint for GNSS zenith wet delay. Thereafter, we evaluate the impact of those high spatial and temporal tropospheric products on meteorological application by assimilating them into numerical weather models. Experiments are conducted to prove the feasibility of aerial-based GNSS meteorology and point out some topics for further investigation.