The applicability analysis of troposphere delay error model in GPS positioning

PurposeTroposphere delay is one of the important error sources in global positioning system (GPS) positioning. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the accuracy and adaptability of GPS troposphere error correction models, and to provide theoretic foundation for model selection in GPS accurate positioning.Design/methodology/approachThe principle of troposphere delay error effecting on GPS signals is theoretically analyzed. The model peculiarity and modeling method of the four common troposphere delay correction models: Hopfield, Saastamoinen, Black, and Egnos models are discussed detailedly. With the measurement data from Crustal Dynamics Data Information System of the technical support institution for GPS, the accuracy and applicability of the four models are quantificationally studied.FindingsFor a low elevation, Hopfield, Saastamoinen, and Black models show great agreement with each other, and have quite high precision. In the zenith direction, the maximal troposphere delay error of three models are all less than 1 dm, but Black and Hopfield models have higher precision than Saastamoinen model. Black model can be regarded as the improved form of Hopfield model: for a high elevation, precision of two models are close, while for a low elevation, Black model shows to be more effective than Hopfield model. The precision of Egnos model is quite lower than that of Black, Hopfield, and Saastamoinen models. However, Egnos model can be a better choice when it is difficult to obtain real‐time meteorological data in certain application environment.Originality/valueThis paper makes thorough research on GPS troposphere delay error correction models. The conclusions are presented for selecting troposphere delay models, which are useful for practical engineering application.