Automatic, near real time processing of GPS-data

The demand for high accuracy requires the use of high-quality, geodetic GPS measurement equipment, but also careful processing of the GPS raw data. Fast availability of GPS-based products can only be achieved through an automated data processing system. An automatic system for the processing of GPS data was developed within the GITEWS project by GFZ and integrated into the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (InaTEWS) in Jakarta (Figure 1). This system has been in operation since the end of 2008.

Figure 1: Design of the system for the automatic processing of GPS data (including GTS-function, for the automatic determination of displacement vectors).

One component of the newly developed system is a web-based, graphic user interface (Web-GUI) that allows an easy-to-handle monitoring of GPS networks and the automatic GPS processing system itself. With the help of this web-GUI, the proper function of all system components, as well as a possible performance reduction, becomes visible for the staff at the early warning centre (Figure 2) and also from other locations with Internet access at any time.

Figure 2: Work station of the GPS experts at the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning Centre in Jakarta. In this example the three screens on the left show the latest results of the automatic determination of co-seismic displacements (Ground Tracking System), the status of the automatic GPS data processing system and the GPS station network performance over the last 24 hours.

Reference: Falck, C., Ramatschi, M., Subarya, C., Bartsch, M., Merx, A., Hoeberechts, J., Schmidt, G. (2010): Near real-time GPS applications for tsunami early warning systems. - Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS), 10, 2, p. 181-189.