Performance characterization of a new, low-cost multi-GNSS instrument for the cryosphere

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Derek James Pickell, Robert Lyman Hawley
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: glacier mapping; glaciological instruments and methods; glacier monitoring; snow/ice surface processes; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Meteorology. Climatology; QC851-999; Greenland; glacier; Ice Sheet; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2023.97; https://doaj.org/article/c9713f39879d40edab592443ab5b1fea

We developed a multi-frequency, multi-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning instrument optimized for autonomous applications in the cryosphere. At lower power requirements and a fraction of the cost and weight compared to commercially available options, this instrument simplifies field usage and associated logistics. In this paper, we assess several baseline aspects of performance in a polar environment relative to geodetic receivers commonly used for glaciological applications. Evaluations of precision and relative accuracy of positioning show millimeter to centimeter-level (‘geodetic-grade’) quality of this instrument, making it a competitive alternative for GNSS glaciological and geophysical applications such as monitoring surface elevation change and ice flow. An array of these instruments, tested in the field on the Greenland Ice Sheet, also demonstrated robustness throughout the polar winter and met power and reliability requirements.