SuomiNet: A Real-Time National GPS Network for Atmospheric Research and Education

We propose to develop “SuomiNet”, a universitybased, real-time, national Global Positioning System (GPS) network for atmospheric research and education. The proposed network, named to honor meteorological satellite pioneer Verner Suomi, will exploit the recently-shown ability of ground-based GPS receivers to make thousands of accurate upper and lower atmospheric measurements per day. SuomiNet’s goal is to use the demonstrated power of GPS for academic research and education, by making large amounts of spatially and temporally dense atmospheric data from broad and diverse regions widely available in real-t ime. SuomiNet will use well established Internet Data Distribution (IDD) software and protocols to coordinate network sensors and distribute its data in real-time (IDD has evolved over more than a decade to provide realtime atmospheric data to university users). SuomiNet will demonstrate the innovative concept of a university-based national geophysical instrument providing critical real-time atmospheric data for research and education. SuomiNet builds on the expertise of UCAR’s GPS Science & Technology (GST) program in GPS-related atmosp h er i c s c i e nc e , o n U ni da ta ’ s r e a l t ime distribution of meteorological data to universities, and on the UNAVCO Facility in developing, deploying and operating GPS networks.