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UNAVCO GPS Support to the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs

DATA PROCESSING

Data processing of differential GPS data is necessary to achieve the precisions requested by the Polar investigators supported by UNAVCO. Data processing, and providing an understanding of the quality and precision of the results, is a key element in UNAVCO support. Data are processed in the field using the Trimble GPSurvey software, with four packages available for project use during the field season. The data processing can be as time consuming as the data collection, especially in the cases where there is a problem data set or the investigator is seeking to maximize the precision of the data. As opposed to the more traditional UNAVCO community, Polar investigators are often more interested in the GPS results (coordinates) than in the raw data, and they prefer to have the data completely processed before they leave the field.

An observation from the support of the 1994-95 season was that data processing uncertainties tend to escalate after a field team leaves Antarctica, when support and direct communication become more difficult. Anticipating limited field engineering resources, the intention at the start of the 1995-96 season was to provide data processing tools and assistance to Antarctic researchers at McMurdo Station, but leave the bulk of the actual processing work to the individual investigators. However, the field engineers were able to process most of the data immediately after it was collected, freeing the science investigators from the lengthy learning period required to become proficient in data processing. This assured that the data were verified and quality checked and that the investigators left the field with their coordinates. The extra effort in ensuring that science groups left the ice with results, not just data, was a very effective strategy.

While most Polar investigators supported do not have significant data processing experience, a few who were trained by UNAVCO or had prior processing experience, processed their own data. S-042 and T-390 field team members processed much of their own data after UNAVCO training, and S-098 and S-171 team members did not require any data processing assistance due to their previous experience. All other data processing requirements were completed with substantial UNAVCO assistance.

Considering the resources that go into successfully completing a GPS field campaign, UNAVCO believes it is worthwhile to offer full data processing assistance to ensure that the principal investigators get satisfactory results and understand the limitations of the data.

UNAVCO GPS Support to the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs - 17 MAY 1996
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