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The global constellation network of BeiDou-3 navigation satellite system (BDS-3) has been completed, which means that BDS-3 has entered a new era of providing high-quality positioning, navigation and timing service for global users.Methods: To comprehensively compare the performance of BDS-3 uncombined precise point positioning (PPP) with other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), this paper focuses on three aspects, including the consistency of BDS-3 precise orbit and clock products among different analysis centers, the satellite availability of BDS-3/GNSS, the positioning performance of BDS-3/GNSS single-system and multi-system PPP.Results: Based on the precise orbit and clock products from five analysis centers, the three-dimensional root mean square error of BDS-3 static PPP is between 2.31 cm and 4.00 cm, and its convergence time is significantly slower than that of other GNSS. The intro‐ duction of GPS observations can achieve the most obvious improvement among BDS-3/GNSS dual-system joint PPP. Besides, the quad-constellation observations can effectively shorten the convergence time of PPP and improve the positioning accuracy on kinematic mode. Conclusions: With the development of BDS-3 and the improvement of its orbit and clock products, BDS-3 has a great potential to provide highquality positioning services as other GNSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The position time series of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) contain rich tectonic and non-tectonic deformation information, and the complex components are difficult to accurately model and effectively separate non-tectonic information. It is very important to remove the non-tectonic de‐ formation information for the accurate and effective application of the observation data. Methods: Empirical mode decomposition （EMD） is an adaptive time-frequency processing method to correct the period term of time series at 24 GNSS continuous stations and 2 mobile stations in Sichuan Province and Yunnan Province. Results: The results show that the correction of the period term is necessary, and the EMD method can ex‐ tract the different frequency and amplitude period components adaptively according to its own characteristics of signal at each station. Compared with the original time series, the average root mean square error after correction is reduced significantly in N, E and U directions. And EMD method is more accurate and effective than harmonic model modification. We use the modified continuous station time series to simulate the mobile observations, and find that relatively reliable motion velocities can be obtained after an observation period of 5 ‐6 years. The stability and reliability of EMD method are verified by correcting the period term of the mobile station with the actual continuous observation station at a close distance. Conclusions: This paper provides a reference and theoretical basis for the implementation of mobile GNSS observation and the correction of observation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: It is difficult to effectively evaluate and weaken the impact of observation environment change on data quality. To solve the problem, this paper studies a multi-point hemispherical grid model which can be applied to various satellite navigation systems.Methods: It integrates the observations of different global navigation satellite system (GNSS) satellite pairs in different observation periods to establish a global optimal multipath model. GNSS multipath error can be estimated effectively using multi-point hemispherical grid model (MHGM), image-based inverse of multipath effect and reflect the orientation of interference sources in the observation environment around stations. Results: To a certain extent the observation environment around stations can be modelled. The test under deliberate high multipath environment reveals that using MHGM significantly improved the root mean square error (RMSE) of the double-differenced carrier phase observation residuals in the period of fixed ambiguity, reducing the mean RMSE from 0.983 cm to 0.318 cm, a 67.7% improvement. In addition, the abnormal areas with large value of correction in the MHGM results is consistent with the direction of the baffle mounted at the corresponding stations. This model indicates multipath effects on GNSS carrier phase observations in different directions from the station. The test with International GNSS Service historical observations shows MHGM can effectively reflect the influence of changing multipath interference around stations on carrier phase observations, with an average improvement of 29.5% in the RMSE of residuals over the past 18 years. Conclusions: This model can be used to evaluate the changes in observation environments surrounding stations over time. It has potential application value to improve the accuracy and reliability of augmentation system products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Deep space antennas are widely used in deep space and radio astronomical observations, and their precise position coordinates are required for research needs. In many cases, this precise position is given by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) based on an initial position with millimeter-scale accuracy. Global positioning system (GPS) alone is merely not sufficient to obtain the initial position of newly-built antennas. Therefore, a method using other objects as reference is needed to calibrate observatory positions, especially antenna arrays, and this paper presents such a method for deep space and radio astronomical observations. Methods: This method employs an azimuth-elevation telescope with an accurate position as a reference object to measure the center position of a target telescope. Other reference objects with satisfying position accuracy can also be used in this method. GPS receivers are adopted to establish a reference network with given scale and orientation by differential measurement. The next step is measuring the local positions of two telescopes (or objective and reference) in the reference network using total station instruments deployed in several different locations. Calculations are induced during the transfer of positions in the reference system to unify data from those measurements. The position of the target to the reference object in a local coordinate system is obtained. The final step is the calculation of the coordinates of the tar⁃ get telescope through the accurate position of the reference telescope. A series of processes are used to con⁃ vert coordinate positions from the local reference system to the international terrestrial reference frame 2014 (ITRF2014) reference system. Results: Experimental measurement was carried out to obtain the coordinates of the 40 m diameter radio telescope in national observatory of China (NAOC) Miyun observatory with the 50 m diameter radio telescope also there as a reference object. Total station measurement was con⁃ ducted at three locations around the reference telescope and four locations around the target telescope. Two reflecting prisms calibrated by GPS devices were used as scale and orientation reference. Total station targets were placed on azimuth and elevation structures of both telescopes. The target position data were obtained when the telescope rotated and tilted at multiple angles. More than 400 times of measurement were taken during a two ⁃ day field experiment. Round ⁃ fitting and sphere ⁃ fitting achieved by the trust-region method were used to process measured points, and the coordinates of the 40 m diameter radio telescope in NAOC Miyun observatory were given with a calibration error of 2.312 mm (root mean square error， RMSE) in the ITRF2014 system. Conclusions: This method provides center point location in mm or sub-mm-scale precision in complex terrain situations with simple tools and low time cost. The measurement of total station instruments towards reference objects or target objects could be the direct or centering measurement. This method can be applied to obtain positions of single or multiple antennas for observation and further calibration. Observatories can apply this method in complex terrain locations such as mountains, rocky fields, and even a meteor crater on an extra-earth planet. Subsequent observations show that this calibration has met the need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives：Continuous and dense global navigation satellite system (GNSS) surface deformation data provide an effective tool to invert refined regional surface mass variations. However, the factors influencing the reliability of GNSS inversion results need to be further studied, such as regularization (including the construction of regularization matrix and determination of optimal regularization parameter), observation noise and distribution of GNSS stations. Methods: First, we proposed an improved regularized Laplacian constraint matrix and discussed the adaptability of the generalized cross⁃validation (GCV) method in selecting the regularization parameter of ill⁃posed equations for inversion of regional surface mass variations based on the loading Green's function theory. Second, we compared the effects of different constraint matrices and constraint methods on the GNSS inversion results. Third, we further investigated the influences of different noise levels of GNSS vertical displacement, the number and distribution of GNSS stations on the inversion results. Results: (1) The regularized Laplacian matrix in this paper can better suppress the edge effects than the traditional Laplacian matrix. (2) The GCV method can effectively determine the optimal regularization parameter, and the inversion results are in good agreement with those solved by the root mean square error (RMSE) criterion. (3) If there are enough GNSS stations and the observation accuracy is high enough in the studied area, the inversion results will be more reliable. Meanwhile, the accuracy of inversion results for uniformly distributed stations is comparable to that of randomly distributed stations when the number of stations is large enough. Conclusions: The improved regularized Laplacian matrix and the GCV method can improve the reliability of GNSS inversion results, which can guide the inversion of surface mass variations using measured GNSS data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a method which utilizes global navigation satellite system (GNSS) based precision point positioning (PPP) for conducting long-term tilt and settlement monitoring of high-rise buildings in North China. Two-year continuous GNSS observations from two high-rise buildings near a deep foundation pit in Beijing are used for the case study. The method comprises four steps: ① Calculating the geocentric coordinates (XYZ) of the GNSS antenna with respect to a global reference frame (e.g., IGS08) with the PPP method; ② transforming the geocentric coordinates to a regional reference frame − the North China reference frame (NChina16); ③ converting the geocentric XYZ coordinates to a station-centric East -North- Up (ENU) coordinates; ④ removing seasonal ground-surface deformation from the ENU time series and restoring the true displacements (tilt and settlement) of the building. Experimental result indicates that the PPP method is able to achieve 2-3 mm horizontal accuracy(root mean square error) and 6-9 mm vertical accuracy (root mean square error)for 24 - hour continuous observations in North China. The combination of PPP, NChina16, and the North China seasonal ground deformation model can perform millimeter-accuracy, nearreal time, and long term static structural health monitoring of high-rise buildings and other large-scale infrastructure projects in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]