EUREF Analysis Centres Workshop

25 Oct 2017, 09:00 → 26 Oct 2017, 16:00 Europe/Brussels

Meridian Room (Royal Observatory of Belgium)

Carine Bruyninx (ROB), Dominique Mesmaker (ROB)

Each 2 years, EUREF organizes a workshop bringing together members of the EUREF community involved in the analysis of GNSS data from the EUREF Permanent GNSS Network (EPN) for different kinds of applications, ranging from geodesy, tropospheric monitoring, ionospheric monitoring to geodynamics. The workshop is also open to people outside of the EUREF community. For logistic reasons, the number of participants is limited to 50.

The workshop will comprise the following topics:

• Activities of the EUREF Governing Board, with presentations by EUREF Working Group chairs and EPN Coordinators.
• Experiences with the analysis of EPN data,
• Discussion on GNSS data modelling standards and multi-GNSS data analysis,
• Potential improvements to EUREF products (daily combined solution, tropospheric solution, multi-year solution, dense velocity solution, etc...),
• Presentation of operational products and scientific results obtained using the EUREF Permanent GNSS Network.

The workshop will be organized in sessions consisting of plenary talks, contributions in the form of posters (A0 portrait format), and considerable discussion time.

The registration fee is 60 euros to be paid by credit card when registering on this site. The fee comprises coffee breaks, lunches, and the workshop dinner.

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This workshop is organised with the support of the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence.

Wednesday, 25 October

09:00 → 09:30 Registration

09:30 → 10:30 Activities of the EUREF Governing Board

09:30 Welcome - Organisational issues

Speaker: C. Bruyninx

09:35 Goals & Issues

Speaker: T. Liwosz

09:45 Galileo-capability of the EUREF Permanent Network (EPN)

This presentation will give an overview of the EPN progress towards integrating Galileo in the EPN. We will discuss the availability of Galileo data, evaluate their quality, and investigate the EPN readiness to deliver Galileo products.

Speaker: Dr Carine Bruyninx (Royal Observatory of Belgium)

10:00 Status of EPN Real-Time Activities

Beside hourly and/or daily RINEX files, almost have of the EPN stations are providing GNSS data in real-time. The real-time data is provided through three EPN broadcasters, located at ASI, BKG and ROB. The data is used for a variety of applications, e.g. satellite Orbit and clock corrections, troposphere and ionosphere processing. Thanks to the Monitoring efforts made by the EPN Central Bureau, some improvement has been made concerning homogenization of the broadcasters. Upcoming changes, e.g. upgrade to RTCM 3.2 / 3.3 and long mount-Point naming will be discussed. However, there is still no specific EUREF-related real-time product nor specific real-time Analysis Centres. We will discuss whether there are possible solutions for this deciciency.

Speaker: Wolfgang Soehne (BKG)

10:15 Monitoring of Real-time GNSS Broadcasters: Application to the EPN

The EPN CB monitors since several years the EPN real-time GNSS broadcasters. Last year, the procedure has been adapted to check also MSM streams. Recently, we extended the procedure to also scan broadcasters not contributing to the EPN. We will give an overview of the verifications done during this monitoring.

Speaker: C. Bruyninx

10:30 → 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 → 12:15 Improving the EPN products: The combination

The ‘official’ EPN products are the daily/weekly EPN positions, the multi-year EPN station positions and velocities, and the tropospheric parameters of the EPN stations. They are based on the routine EPN data analysis as well as, presently, the products of EPN-repro2. This session welcomes presentations/posters covering
− contributions to the above mentioned products (e.g. AC reports and coordinator reports)
− validation tests of these products
− proposals to improve the products
− data quality review
− processing option updates
− proposals for new ideas/products to enhance the multi-disciplinarity of EPN

11:00 Analysis Centres Coordinator Report

The presentation covers the current status of the final and rapid EPN products and the recent activities of the Analysis Centres Coordinator. Proposals for improving the consistency of the routine products will also be presented.

Speaker: Dr Tomasz Liwosz (WUT)

11:15 Status of the EPN Troposphere Products

This presentation will report on the status of the EPN Troposphere Products based on EPN-Repro2 for the period 1996-2014 and on the routine EPN data analysis afterwards. Results from the combination and inter-technique comparison available at EPN Central Bureau will be shown. The SINEX_TRO format v2.00 will be presented and discussed.

Speaker: Dr Rosa Pacione (e-geos ASI/CGS)

11:30 Receiver Antenna Calibrations Available from the EPN CB

This presentation will give an overview of all receiver antenna calibrations that are downloadable from the EPN CB. In addition, we will give an overview of the revisions made to the EPN calibration file at the release of the IGS14.atx/IGS14.

Speaker: Dr Carine Bruyninx (Royal Observatory of Belgium)

11:45 New Multi-year EPN Solution Expressed in IGS14

A new multi-year EPN position and velocity solution will be presented. It is expressed in the IGS14 and uses as input the daily EPN-Repro2 solutions as well as the routine EPN solutions.

Speaker: Dr Juliette Legrand (ROB)

12:00 Discussion

12:15 → 13:00 Improving the EPN products: The AC

The ‘official’ EPN products are the daily/weekly EPN positions, the multi-year EPN station positions and velocities, and the tropospheric parameters of the EPN stations. They are based on the routine EPN data analysis as well as, presently, the products of EPN-repro2. This session welcomes presentations/posters covering
− contributions to the above mentioned products (e.g. AC reports and coordinator reports)
− validation tests of these products
− proposals to improve the products
− data quality review
− processing option updates
− proposals for new ideas/products to enhance the multi-disciplinarity of EPN

12:15 GNSS Analysis at the BEK Analysis Centre

The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BADW), today represented by the research group on Geodesy and Glaciology at the BADW (previously: Bavarian Commission for International Geodesy [BEK]), is contributing to the EPN Analysis since 1996 as an EPN Analysis Centre. It started with the weekly analysis based on final IGS orbits. Today the BEK provides also daily rapid solutions. The subnetwork of the BEK has enlarged significantly since 1996. The presentation will focus on the status, the fields of interest und plans for the future. It will also highlight some new research fields.

Speaker: Dr Christof Voelksen (Bavarian Academie of Sciences and Humanities / Geodesy and Glaciology)

12:30 BEV AC report

Report of the new AC from the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (BEV) Austria. In addition the report of the "old" OLG-AC is given.

Speaker: Mr Philipp Mitterschiffthaler (BEV)

12:45 Activities of BKG LAC and the connections of EPN to the German official geodetic spatial reference

The actual postprocessing activities of BKG are concentrated to national spatial references frames. There relation to EPN will be shown as well as new features like first multi-GNSS analysis (Galileo observations) and reprocessing of the German reference frame GREF. The new German official geodetic spatial reference at Dec. 1st.2016 will be presented.

Speaker: Mr Peter Franke (Bundesamt fuer Kartographie und Geodaesie)

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Improving the EPN products: The reprocessing

The ‘official’ EPN products are the daily/weekly EPN positions, the multi-year EPN station positions and velocities, and the tropospheric parameters of the EPN stations. They are based on the routine EPN data analysis as well as, presently, the products of EPN-repro2. This session welcomes presentations/posters covering
− contributions to the above mentioned products (e.g. AC reports and coordinator reports)
− validation tests of these products
− proposals to improve the products
− data quality review
− processing option updates
− proposals for new ideas/products to enhance the multi-disciplinarity of EPN

14:00 EPN Reprocessing Activities: A Summary

Coordinated reprocessing activities started within the group of the EPN analysis centers during 2009. The main goal was the homogenization of the entire solutions in the reference frame IGS05 between 1996 until the end of 2009. Almost each Analysis Centre of the EPN participated and contributed solutions for the mentioned period. This activity is known as EPN-Repro1. With the introduction of the IGb08 another reprocessing campaign was required. This time a smaller group of five ACs provided daily and weekly solutions for the period 1996 until the end of 2013 (named EPN-Repro2). The presentation will give a summary of the activities from the different ACs and the EPN Analysis Combination Centre.

Speaker: Dr Christof Voelksen (Bavarian Academie of Sciences and Humanities / Geodesy and Glaciology)

14:15 EPN data quality revision in view of EPN repro-3

During EPN REPRO-2 reprocessing and the follow on analysis steps (combination, multi-year solution generation, tropospheric combination) several data quality issues had been identified. Most of then related to specific stations and specific period of time and may appear in all product level. In order to clearly identify the problem sources all information must be carefully checked, where all EPN Coordinators and data base maintainers should cooperate. The identified bad data sections should at least be flagged.

Speaker: Dr Ambrus Kenyeres (BFKH FTFF)

14:30 Discussion

15:00 → 15:30 Towards an official EPN densification product

15:00 Towards an Official EPN Densification Product

Speaker: A. Kenyeres

15:30 → 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 → 16:30 Towards an official EPN densification product

16:00 The UPA LAC Status and Contribution to the EPN Densification

The University of Padova (UPA) Local Analysis Center (LAC) computes a dense GNSS Network (679 stations in the cumulative solution as of September 6th, 2017) that covers Italy and includes stations from other countries as well: Austria, Albania and Greece. Two solutions are computed using CODE products: a RAPID solution, using RAPID CODE products, in the 24 hours after the end of the previous day, and a FINAL solution, 2 weeks later, with FINAL CODE products. The daily procedure foresees a cross validation of the RINEX metadata with the IGS compliant logsheets that are maintained by the UPA LAC team. If any equipment inconsistency between the RINEX metadata and the logsheet is detected, the Station Operator is automatically reported and, eventually, if no actions are taken, UPA will contact the Operator by phone to sort the problem out. Then, the logsheets and BSW needed files are updated accordingly (STA file, mainly) and the correct station equipment is used in the FINAL solution. To detect sudden jumps in the coordinates, we use as reference the nominal coordinates mapped to the session epoch using the cumulative adjusted values for coordinates and velocities. These ‘predicted’ coordinates are compared to the adjusted ones by means of a Helmert 3D transformation. We declare the occurrence of a coordinate jump is the differences (predicted – adjusted) exceeds 15 mm in any component. This procedure complies with the ACC procedure in checking the outliers in the weekly combined solution of the EPN. It also allows us to decide on new solution numbers to be assigned to the coordinate time series of non EPN sites. These solution numbers are stored in a ‘soln’ file which is communicated to the EPN Densification Project and in the national database. Taking into account that all the densification sites have a unique 4-char id and DOMES number, the generated SINEX files can be imported in any project of densification European or worldwide. The resulting velocity file is currently used in several projects of deformation monitoring at the national level. The file is regularly sent to the Densification Project lead by E. Brockman in support of a European velocity field based on the classical approach.

Speaker: Dr Zurutuza Joaquin (UPA/ARA)

16:15 DSO contribution to EUREF densification; status and future steps

Dionysos Satellite Observatory (DSO) of National Technical University of Athens, has been routinely processing GPS/GNSS data to monitor ground deformation in Greece. Since 2015, DSO has also been actively involved in EUREF's Densification project; during these last couple of years, a big effort has been made to try to establish and organize a credible data-set out of a fairly inhomogeneous list of stations, installed by various institutes to serve different ends. Meanwhile, our processing platform has been modernized, updated and enlarged to accommodate the efficient analysis of large GNSS datasets and the corresponding dissemination of results and products. DSO has thus contributed SINEX files spanning the time period from 1996 up to (and including) 2016, steaming from a network of 50 GPS/GNSS sites, spatially covering most of Greece. Our plan, is not only to continue our contribution within the Densification project, but also to extend the available data-set via collaborations with public and/or private institutions. We are also looking forward to extending our contribution to other projects, within the community.

Speaker: Mr Xanthos Papanikolaou (National Technical University of Athens)

16:30 → 17:00 Tutorial on 'G-Nut/Anubis'

Speaker: J. Dousa

19:00 → 21:00 Dinner

Thursday, 26 October

09:30 → 11:00 Towards an official EPN densification product: continuation

09:30 Homogeneous product of dense Polish GNSS networks

This presentation describes continuation of our work to provide consistent and homogeneous solutions of all existing GNSS stations in Poland. Poland currently has identified over 400 stations, belonging to various institutions (government, academic and private). Current products (final and rapid) are ready and are consistent with the EPN repro2. The reprocessing work is ongoing and the results are expected in the 2018.

Speaker: A. ARASZKIEWICZ

09:45 A new ETRS89 realization in Spain

The implementation of ETRS89 in Spain was stablished by law in 2007 and is based on the REGENTE passive geodetic network that relies on GPS techniques. On the other hand, the installation and modernization of GNSS permanent stations/networks throughout Spain has been steadily growing hereafter. Actually, the current picture is that the access of the users to the ETRS89 frame is mostly done through these new active GNSS networks, run by national or regional agencies or even private companies, rather than from REGENTE. The broad use of the increasingly accurate both real-time and post-processed positioning services based on GNSS techniques, makes necessary to modernize and harmonize the reference frame for all public GNSS networks in Spain, given the non-uniqueness of the different solutions currently co-existing. The geodetic reference frame for almost all these active networks was usually provided by IGN in ETRF05, but other agencies did their own processing and alignment to other geodetic frames, such as ETRF00. A Working Group was stablished in 2015 with the major goal of harmonizing and standardizing a unique and common reference framework in ETRF00 for all public GNSS networks in Spain, Canary Islands excluded as long as ETRF is not extendable to that area. Individual daily-based solutions of four Analysis Centers, (ARA, ICGC, IGE and ITACyL) have been combined in order to compute a timewise stacking of these combined daily solutions. Three of them provide solutions to EPN-D (ARA, ICGC and IGE) and one of them (IGE) is an EUREF-LAC and has participated in EPN repro activities. The time span of the considered normal equations covers the full IGb08 lifetime, this is GPS week 1632 to 1933, both included. The stacking of the daily files has strictly implemented the EUREF TWG recommendations for Network Densifications and the EPN A C1934 release has been used to set the velocities and positions of the datum sites. This Working Group also will extend the processing in the future in order to monitor, in a permanent basis, the coordinates of all the available stations.

Speaker: J. SANCHEZ SOBRINO

10:00 EPN Densification Project: Report of the Main Astronomical Observatory NAS of Ukraine

The observations of GPS and GLONASS satellites for GPS weeks 935-1933 were processed in the Local Analysis Centre of the Main Astronomical Observatory NAS of Ukraine (Kiev) with the Bernese GNSS Software ver. 5.2. Estimations of coordinates and velocities in the IGb08 reference frame for 233 permanent GNSS stations in the Eastern Europe (including 191 Ukrainian non-EPN stations) were received. The total mean weekly repeatabilities are 1.01 mm, 0.95 mm, 3.45 mm for North, East, Up respectively.

Speaker: O. KHODA

10:15 Progresses in the Central European densification of the 3D velocity field: the CEGRN2017 Campaign

EUREF maintains an active collaboration with the Central European GPS Geodynamic Reference Network (CEGRN) since a MoU was signed in Chisinau (2011). One of the objectives of such MoU is the co-operation between both parties to facilitate the densification of the GNSS stations in Central Europe. The first CEGRN campaign was carried out in 1996 and then, every odd year, a new campaign is scheduled in mid-June, usually covering a full GPS week. The CEGRN 2017 campaign was scheduled in mid June (GPSW 1953, from June 11th to June 17th) and has been the confirmation of the commitment of the countries that were contacted to provide GNSS densification data, in either RINEX or SINEX format. The number of stations included so far in the CEGRN are, per country, the following: Albania (28), Bulgaria (4), Czech Republic (22), EPN (74), Germany (3), Italy (2), Macedonia (13), Moldova (10), Romania (3), Slovenia (20), and Ukraine (144, not included in this UPA solution). SINEX files have been provided by Lithuania and Slovakia. Especially remarkable in the CEGRN 2017 has been the tight collaboration with the Main Astronomic Observatory (MAO). As in the CEGRN 2015 campaign, UPA and MAO have been working together to get the needed observation files and it is worth to say that without this collaboration, the CEGRN 2017 would not have been as dense as it is. CODE’s precise products have been used and the mean repeatabilities achieved so far are of 1.1, 1.1 and 4.1 mm for North East Up respectively. The processing of CEGRN 2017 is based on IGS14 orbits/clocks and antenna models, whereas the previous CEGRN campaign are fully repro2 compliant (IGb08). At this time all the received data have been processed, but more contributions are expected. As soon as all the missing data are received, a full combination will be processed and the solution will be stacked to the previous CEGRN campaigns. We intend to support in this way the IAG Working Group "Integration of Dense Velocity Fields in the ITRF" and the EPN Working Groups active in the field of densification and deformation studies.

Speaker: J. ZURUTUZA

10:30 Recent Geodetic Activities in Turkey

My presentation will cover a brief summary of the geodetic studies at GCM and try to give some detailed info about GNSS processing and analysis.

Speaker: A. KURT

10:45 Discussion

11:00 → 11:30 Coffee Break

11:30 → 13:00 Open session

This session is open to presentations/posters – or just position statements – that are of interest to the community analyzing the EPN data, e.g.
- experiences with multi-GNSS data analysis,
- usage of EPN data,
- contributions to and problems with the EPN tracking network and the data centres,
- organization of future reprocessing,
- usage of EPN real-time data.

11:30 Management and dissemination of GNSS site log metadata using the new GeodesyML standard

In July 2009, the EPN Central Bureau released its GUI for on-line site log validation and submission tool to replace its mail-based site log submission and validation. Since that time, the EPN network has grown considerably in number of stations and complexity. In addition, with the upcoming European Plate Oberving System (EPOS), there is now a need for a single European facility that has the capability to manage, validate, and submit the site logs of 3000+ of GNSS stations. Independently of the network (EPN, EPN densification, or EPOS) this facility should respond to one of the primary needs of the station managers, which is to upload their station metadata just once and after its validation these metadata are updated within the all metadata systems of networks to which the station contributes. In addition, we realize that the task of keeping metadata up it data, complete and synchronized can be more efficient for data centers as well as analysis centers. All this requires the usage of systems that facility machine-to-machine exchange. Also recognizing this need, within the International GNSS Service, a new machine-to-machine exchange format (known as GeodesyML) for the exchange of site logs is under development. This format has the goal to maximize the interoperability in support of M2M exchange of metadata. In order to respond to all these needs, the Royal Observatory of Belgium is developing a completely new on-line GNSS station metadata management and dissemination system. In this presentation, we will explain the philosophy of the system and show a demo version. To illustrate any further usage in this presentation we demonstrate some functionality based on a Web service, which can also be offered by the new web application. This is useful for any further third party application to synchronize and download the collection of the metadata. In addition to the submission of site logs, the system will in the future also allow to upload site pictures and individual antenna calibration files. For the EPN, the transition from the present on-line site log validation and submission tool will be done gradually.

Speaker: Mr Andras Fabian (ROB)

11:45 Antenna calibrations for TRF scale determination and their influence on coordinate estimation

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) can typically not contribute to the scale of the terrestrial reference frame because the satellite antenna offsets are not known to the scientific community. With the disclosure of the values for the Galileo IOV satellites a first system provider has published such data allowing to overcome this deficiency in future. In order to make the full benefit of the information also calibrations for the Galileo E1 and E5 frequencies for the ground receiver antennas are required. We present results from a dedicated study on the use of the recently published satellite antenna calibration values where their influence on the coordinates of the ground tracking stations is estimated. Within the EUREF Permanent Network, for a limited number of stations receiver antenna pattern from a chamber calibration are available where also values for the Galileo E1 and E5 signals are included. This allows at least a limited evaluation to which extent these alternative calibration values are compatible to those traditionally used by the IGS/EPN.

Speaker: Dr Arturo Villiger (Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland)

12:00 ROBER: Progress Towards a New Tool for the Day-to-Day Management of a GNSS Analysis Centre

The Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) is developing a new tool, called “ROBER”, in order to enhance the reliability of its final products (coordinates, tropospheric parameters…) obtained from a GNSS network solution, and to be able to manage the significant increase in the number of GNSS stations that happened over the past years. Therefore, ROBER aims to monitor, analyse and take decisions at all sequential steps of a GNSS network solution performed by the BERNESE GNSS Software v5.2 (Dach et al. 2015). It consists of three main components. The first component enable the extraction of performance metrics and their storage in MySQL databases, along with well-documented meta-data. The second component analyses some of these metrics, identified as Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and use them to track down any source of performance degradation as early as possible in the processing. The third component consists in either applying directly decision models to solve automatically for a performance degradation, or – at least - in notifying the user for possible imprecise results when an automated decision cannot happen. In the latter case, the full set of metrics (first component of ROBER) serves to inspect manually the origin of the suspected problem. Finally, the three components are bind together by a prototype web-based user interface, offering graphical representation of the metrics, statistics, tables, reports… The ultimate goal of ROBER is to be integrated in the various analysis centre operated by ROB, such as those operated in the context of EUREF and E-GVAP, to help in their day-to-day management. In this presentation, we will introduce ROBER, summarize its current development and implementation stage, and illustrate some of its capabilities based on the exploitation of operational network solutions obtained by these ROB analysis centres.

Speaker: Dr Eric Pottiaux (Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB))

12:15 How good are the broadcast ephemeris of GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Beidou? An evaluation based on recent data

We assess the quality of a sample of broadcast orbits of GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Beidou taking precise orbits provided by CODE as reference. First we analyze the alignment of the reference systems adopted by broadcast orbits respect to that provided by precise orbits. In the second part we analyze the coordinate differences in the RSW (radial, along-track, out-of-plane) reference system. The study focuses on GPS week 1950, from 21/05/2017 to 27/05/2017. For each day we have obtained four (one per each constellation) set of seven Helmert parameters, which define the transformation from precise to broadcast reference systems, and consist of 3 translations (Tx, Ty, Tz), 3 rotations (Rx, Ry, Rz) and one scaling factor (k). We find that for GPS and Galileo the translation of the origin is less than 0.10 m and rotations are less than 1 milli-second of arc. For Glonass and Beidou we have higher differences: the translation of the origin is about 0.35 m and the rotations are comprised between 1 and 4 milli-seconds of arc. The scale factor is about 0.02 mm/km for all the systems except for Glonass, which shows a value 4 times higher. We now address coordinate differences in the RSW frame: GPS satellites show radial and along-track differences with mean values less than 1.0 m, in absolute value. Standard deviation is about few decimeters up to about one meter, respectively. Out-of-plane differences have a nearly zero mean values, with a standard deviation of about few decimeters, and show an oscillating trend, characterized by a period of about 12 hours and an amplitude up to 0.8 m. Clock differences have a nearly zero mean value with a standard deviation of maximum 2 ns. Glonass coordinate and clock differences show an oscillating trend with a period of about 12 hours. The amplitudes are about 1 m, 2 m and 2.5 m for radial, along-track and out-of-plane components, respectively, and 8 ns. Mean values of radial and out-of-plane differences are maximum few decimeters, in absolute value, whereas mean values of along-track differences are up to 3 m in absolute value. Mean values of clock differences are different from a satellite to another, varying from -20 ns to 20 ns, with a standard deviation up to 10 ns. Also Beidou coordinate and clock differences show an oscillating trend. The period is about 12 hours for Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites (C11, C12, C14) and about a whole day for the other satellites (Inclined Geosynchronous Satellite Orbit - IGSO). The amplitudes are generally lower than 1.0 m, but in some days we observe slightly higher amplitudes for MEO satellites in the along-track component. Clock differences are continuous and with constant values. Mean values are generally comprised between 90 and 120 ns, except for C13 for which we observe a clock difference of 56 ns. The standard deviation of clock differences is 1-2 ns, except for C11 for which we observe two large discontinuities: one on 21th and the other on 23th. For Galileo, it is important to remember that three types of ephemeris are available: I/NAV E1-B, F/NAV E5a and I/NAV E5b. We have chosen to use I/NAV E1-B ephemeris. In addition, referring to paragraph 5.1.9.3 of Galileo OS SIS ICD, we have rejected I/NAV blocks with Health Status equal to 1 (Signal out of service) and accepted the others. For 11 of the 17 satellites we have found always the SV health value set to 0, which means Data Validity Status = “Navigation Data Valid” and Health status = “Signal OK”. For the other 6 satellites we have found the value 455, which means Data Validity Status = “Working without guarantee” and Health status = “Signal Component currently in Test”. These satellite are the last 4 launched on 17/11/2016 (E03, E04, E05, E07) and the two launched on 22/08/2014 (E14, E18) into non nominal elliptical orbit. For Galileo we have found irregular spacing between ephemeris blocks. Often between two consecutive blocks there are 10 minutes and sometimes up to several hours. Since the time validity of each ephemeris block is +/- 3600 s, it is questionable to compute coordinates and clock using the broadcast data, outside the validity time of an ephemeris block. Coordinate differences are smaller compared to those of other systems, except for E14 and E18. We report mean values lower than 0.2 m, in absolute value, with a standard deviation of about 0.1-0.2 m for radial and out-of-plane components and 0.2-0.5 m for along-track component. Clock differences, like GPS, have a nearly zero mean value (except for E08 which shows an offset of about 8 ns) with a standard deviation of maximum 2 ns. E14 and E18 show scattered coordinate differences with very large values, so about 75% of coordinates are rejected by Bernese and not considered in the estimation of Helmert parameters. We speculate that the modified Keplerian model may not be suitable for eccentric orbits. Clock differences show an offset of about 4-8 ns, with the same standard deviation as for the other satellites.

Speaker: Alessandro Caporali (University of Padova, Department of Geosciences)

12:30 Near real-time monitoring of the solar activity impact on European region from the EPN data.

The Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) developed the ROB-IONO software which takes advantage of the dense EUREF Permanent Network (EPN) to monitor the ionosphere over Europe as well as the degradation of GNSS signals due to Solar Radio Burst. The paper will present the ongoing products publicly available and the research done at ROB based on the EPN data.

Speakers: Mr Jean-Marie Chevalier (Royal Observatory of Belgium), Dr Nicolas Bergeot (Royal Observatory of Belgium)

12:45 Computation of the new horizontal velocity model for Sweden by transforming the new GIA model of Holger optimized also in the horizontal

Speaker: M. LIDBERG

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Wrap up and agreement on recommendations

Convener: T. LIWOSZ

15:00 → 15:30 Coffee Break

15:30 → 16:00 Tutorial on “Demonstration on how to process Galileo data with Bernese GNSS Software, version 5.2”

Speaker: A. Villiger