A Study of Total Electron Content Variations Over Abuja (Nigeria) using the GNSS

Abstract

Effects of space weather are usually related to disturbances in the ionosphere such as change in total electron content (TEC), which is an important descriptive quantity for the ionosphere of the earth. This has an important effect on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) as it causes delay in range measurements. The knowledge of this TEC change is therefore very significant to various GNSS users. This work presents the variation of TEC over the equatorial station of Abuja, Nigeria (Geographic: 7.49 °E, 9.03 °N, Altitude 533.60 m; Geomagnetic: 79.49°E, 1.60 °S) using GNSS data collected over an year 2013 (a year of moderate solar activity), and is one of the first studies of TEC variation over Abuja, Nigeria done using data from the GNSS. The results obtained from this work show significant diurnal and seasonal TEC variations. It was specifically observed that the TEC values were relatively higher during the equinoxes than the solstices, but the high values of TEC were also observed during the December solstice. The highest TEC values were recorded in the month of March, which is an equinox month.

Keywords: TEC, GNSS, Abuja, equatorial, ionosphere