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The analysis of the GPS multipath effects in maritime environment is constrained with the practice of traditional GPS receiver design, that prevents access to GPS signals in Base-band Processing Domain. Here we propose and validate a simple method for experimental identification of multipath effect in Navigation Processing Domain, based on spectral characterisation of time series of GPS positioning errors.

Satellite navigation is a global utility and an essential component of national infrastructure. Disruptions of GNSS PNT services may be considered a threat to society and civilisation in general. Natural hazards may cause the conditions that disrupt or temporarily deny GNSS PNT services. As a contributor to ionospheric dynamics, volcanic activity is considered a source of GNSS positioning performance degradation. Here we studied the 2011 Puyehue-Cordon Caulle event, the largest 21st century volcanic eruption so far, in terms of its contribution to formation of Total Electron Content (TEC), the source of ionosphere-caused GNSS positioning error, and the effects the event made on GPS positioning accuracy. TEC values were derived from dual-frequency GPS observations collected experimentally at the International GNSS Service Network reference stations in Santiago, central Chile closest to the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano. We identified considerable anomalous behaviour of TEC dynamics prior to, during and after the volcanic eruption, and examined the extent to which it affected GPS positioning accuracy. The research presented here will continue with the aim of characterisation of TEC anomalous dynamics around the eruption, and its effects on GNSS positioning performance.

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