Global positioning systems have become surprisingly accurate in the 2D landscape – certainly much more accurate than what we would have expected about 10 years ago.

However, altitude measurements aren’t on the same level. However, researchers at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Poland and at Ohio State University said they have developed a software that is improving vertical accuracy and will enhance applications that are used in potentially hazardous regions at high altitudes.

They also claim that their software could be used to measure how quickly glaciers at high altitudes are melting. The new technology will enable GPS systems to reflect the correct location, including altitude, within a few inches.

According to the researchers, the determination of altitude is tricky as it is affected by electron interaction and tropospheric refraction that re-route GPS signals. Today’s models do not always correctly account for tropospheric delays and do not fully consider the impact of weather and temperature variations. The new software developed at both universities was tested in three different scenarios using ground station receivers located in the Carpathian Mountains in Poland – a region known for its steep slopes. They discovered one method that gave the correct altitude 97 percent of the time.

“Of the three methods we tested, the third and most accurate was also the most complicated,” said Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska, professor of civil and environmental engineering and geodetic science at Ohio State University. “This method was developed by our team, and required knowledge of three or four reference stations in order to perform the calculations properly.”

The team said that it will conduct further testing, but noted that there is already enough evidence that GPS in 3D scenarios can be improved.

SOURCE via Ohio State University