[IGSMAIL-8434] Update of the JPL Global Ionospheric Maps

['Martire, Leo (335G)' via IGS Mail]

Dear Colleagues,


Following months of meticulous development and rigorous testing, we are pleased to announce the following upgrades of the official JPL ionospheric maps.

The products that are concerned are JPL0OPSFIN and JPL0OPSRAP. The changes are scheduled to take effect starting on the 4th of March 2024 (DOY 064). It is imperative to note that the change is not retroactive - previously generated maps will remain unaffected.

Key improvements include:

  *   Enhanced Codebase: We have streamlined our codebase to fortify its resilience and expedite support. This involves a transition to exclusively Python (3.9x) and the migration to a version-controlled repository for improved management. Our backend map generation module was also made to seamlessly align with the underlying software - JPL-GIM (Martire et al., under review).
  *   Refined RMS Maps: With this upgrade, RMS maps accompanying each IONEX file will now be based on uncertainties computed internally by the JPL-GIM software. This represents a departure from the previous approach, which utilised a singular value per solar-geomagnetic sector.
  *   Expanded GNSS Station Coverage: We have augmented the number of GNSS stations factored into each map computation, and made future augmentations easier. At the time of upgrade, the average count will increase from 200 stations to 250+, thereby enhancing the accuracy and reliability of our outputs.
  *   Time Alignment to UTC: To mitigate potential delays stemming from daylight savings time adjustments, our map generation process will now align with UTC instead of Pacific time, ensuring seamless and timely integration in other processes.

These upgrades do not incur changes to the format of our products, and should therefore seamlessly integrate into your existing workflows.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us, should you require any further clarification or assistance.


Best regards,

Léo Martire and Panagiotis Vergados


Léo Martire, Ph.D. [they/them<https://www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/talking-about-pronouns-in-the-workplace>]
  Research Technologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  Central Bureau Deputy Director + Governing Board Executive Secretary, International GNSS Service
  leo.martire at jpl.nasa.gov<mailto:leo.martire at jpl.nasa.gov>, leo.martire at igs.org<mailto:leo.martire at igs.org>
  Google Scholar<http://www.tinyurl.com/LeoMartireGoogleScholar>, ORCID<https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9402-6150>, LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmartire/?locale=en_US>
  I work across a number of time zones, and I am sending this message now because it works for me. Feel free to read, act on, or respond at a time that works for you.
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