Analysis and improvement of ionospheric thin shell model used in SBAS for China region

The most frequently used mapping function for converting slant total electron content (STEC) to vertical total electron content (VTEC) uses a simplified ionospheric single layer model in satellite based augmentation system (SBAS). Aiming at ionospheric single layer model altitude variation, we analyzed the statistical characteristic of mapping function in systemic approach particular for the region of China, and then experimental mapping function was proposed. The experimental mapping function is used in SBAS ionospheric correction and the precision of vertical correction is compared with standard mapping function. The results show that conversion factor errors depend on latitude, time and elevation, experimental mapping function is helpful to the vertical TEC estimation and may improve the precision of SBAS ionospheric refraction correction especially for the low latitude region of China.