Continuous decimeters level real-time Precise Point Positioning in polar high latitude region

Abstract

In this article, the usability and accuracy assessment of the real-time Precise Point Positioning
(PPP) technique for dynamic positioning in application areas with difficult atmospheric and
topographic conditions, such as polar regions, has been investigated. Within this frame,
kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data collected during the ship voyage in
the Southern Ocean region for the 6th Turkish Antarctic Expedition in 2022 was used. The
GNSS data were collected over approximately 9 hours with a 1 Hz sampling rate by tracking
all available satellite constellations. The data were processed using Net_Diff GNSS in-house
processing software with a PPP solution with an ambiguity resolution (PPP-AR solution)
approach using real-time products in the real-time Precise Point Positioning (RT-PPP) mode.
The State Space Representation (SSR) products were retrieved from Centre National D’Etudes
Spatiales / Centre for Space Studies (CNES) Analysis Center. The results showed that the realtime GNSS PPP solution provided a cm to dm level of accuracy. The overall results obtained
from the study showed that the RT-PPP technique is an alternative to the relative method in
challenging high-latitude regions. The results of the study will also contribute to many
researchers who will work in the polar regions and make a meaningful contribution to the
limited literature.