Global Monitoring System for Ionospheric Disturbances: Initial Findings on the Impact of Scintillations on GNSS Signal Quality Across Frequencies

Understanding ionospheric disturbances is essential not only for enhancing the accuracy of space geodetic applications but also for advancing our knowledge of space weather and space climate dynamics. Recently, this analysis has become increasingly valuable in early warning systems and assessing the effects of natural disasters such as geomagnetic storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis. To facilitate the monitoring of ionospheric instabilities worldwide, the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences is developing a global network of high-rate GNSS stations operating at a frequency of 50 Hz. This report introduces the current status of the monitoring system and presents initial findings from stations located near the magnetic equator. The 3D model of ionospheric perturbations on a global scale (based on ROTI) and locally (based on the S4 index) at monitoring stations clearly illustrates the temporal and spatial characteristics of severe ionospheric conditions. We emphasize the impact of ionospheric irregularities on GNSS signal quality and employ statistical algorithms to evaluate the effects of scintillations on GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo satellite navigation systems across different frequencies.