Title: Smartphone Networks Revolutionize Global Ionosphere Mapping

In an innovative approach, researchers from Google Research in Mountain View, CA, USA, have harnessed the power of millions of Android smartphones to create a distributed network of sensors for mapping the ionosphere. This method, detailed in a study published in Nature, significantly enhances ionosphere data globally and particularly benefits underserved regions like Africa.

Ground-based GNSS stations have traditionally provided ionospheric total electron content (TEC) maps but with limited coverage, leaving gaps in crucial areas. By utilizing the widespread availability of smartphones with dual-frequency GNSS receivers, researchers were able to utilize these devices as mobile sensors to gather extensive data. Although less precise than traditional instruments, the collective data from smartphones proved to be highly effective in improving measurement coverage and accuracy, outperforming existing models like the Klobuchar ionospheric model used in mobile phones.

This breakthrough enabled researchers to map phenomena such as plasma bubbles over India and South America, storm-enhanced density patterns over North America during a geomagnetic storm, and others previously inaccessible with sparse station coverage. This innovative approach not only doubled the measurement coverage of the ionosphere but also provided real-time, high-resolution TEC maps, benefiting regions like India, South America, and Africa.ære

By leveraging the vast network of smartphones, this research showcases a significant advancement in ionosphere mapping, enhancing the precision and coverage of navigation systems globally.