The standard method for GPS occultation data processing at the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) Potsdam is the double difference technique. The application of this method requires the implementation of a global fiducial network of GPS ground receivers. This network (“H/R and Low Latency” network) was installed jointly by GFZ and Jet Propulsion Laboratory in preparation of the CHAMP occultation experiment and is operated by both institutes. In its current configuration it consists of 30 stations. The configuration and the data flow of the network is characterized. Aspects of utilizing the ground station data for occultation processing are discussed. A correlation between the network topology and ground data redundancy for occultation processing is given. The influence of an acquisition rate reduction (compared to the standard 1 Hz rate) to the quality of the atmospheric profiles is investigated. A set of more than 400 occultations is processed with different acquisition rates. The results are compared with profiles, generated using the standard acquisition rate as a reference. In addition, the profiles are compared with ECMWF meteorological analyses. Operational aspects of the data providing are discussed.

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Wickert, J.; Schmidt, T.; Förste, C. (2002): GPS Ground station data for CHAMP occultations. First Champ Science Meeting (Potsdam 2002).