STUDIES OF TEC IN ECUADOR USING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) DATA
abstract
The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere formed by electrons and ions, which is located between 300 and 500 km of altitude. The ion concentration in this layer is affected by interactions with particles arising from the solar activity. Parameters such as latitude, longitude, time, solar cycle, ground stations and others, influence the content of electrons/ions present in this region. The ionosphere disturbs the electromagnetic signals due to its conductivity and high variability. In this research, signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) were used to estimate the total electron content (TEC) of the equatorial ionosphere, with data from the IGS network, based on dual-frequency receivers. Furthermore, wediscuss a model that we employed to estimate the TEC, considering the variations experienced by signals as they propagate through the atmosphere and the instrumental systematic errors.