Impact of the Solar Radio Burst of 24 September 2011 on GNSS Receiver Performance

Intense solar radio bursts occurring in the L-Band frequencies can interfere with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receivers located on the whole sunlit hemisphere of the Earth. Significant decrease in the carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N0) can be observed, which can lead to the complete loss of lock on the satellites signals. Previous experimental evidence has revealed that high-precision GPS positioning on Earth's entire sunlit side was partially disrupted for more than 10-15 minutes by solar radio bursts. Hence, solar radio bursts are a potential threat to safety-critical systems based on GNSS. Consequently monitoring these events is important for suitable warnings to be issued in support to related services and applications. Despite such relevant experimental evidence, not enough emphasis or research effort has been given to this phenomenon, which is characterized by low probability of occurrence, but also by high impact when it occurs. This paper presents the results of investigations on the impact of the solar radio burst of 24 September 2011 on GNSS receiver performance.