The use of GLONASS data in ionospheric imaging over the Antarctic

Due to the satellite orbit inclination of 55-degree, ground-based GPS measurements are less available for ionospheric imaging at high latitudes than at middle/low latitudes, when removing the lower elevation ray paths. In this study, efforts are made to assimilate GLONASS measurements of a greater orbit inclination of 65-degree into the tomographic algorithm, to reconstruct the ionosphere over the Antarctic. Through validating with independent ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) estimations from the Doppler Orbitography and Radio positioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) system and the LEO CHAMP, the influence of the use of GLONASS data on the inversion is also discussed.