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Global Positioning System (GPS) location accuracy improvement due to selective availability removal
Christophe Adrados1, Irène Girard, Jean-Paul Gendner
1Institut de recherche sur les grands mammifères, Institut national de la recherche agronomique, BP 27, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France. cadrados@toulouse.inra.fr
Comptes Rendus Biologies
|May 1, 2002
Summary
The deactivation of Selective Availability (SA) significantly improved Global Positioning System (GPS) accuracy for animal tracking collars. Differential GPS technology continues to offer the most precise location data for wildlife behavior studies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Wildlife Biology
- Geomatics
Background:
- Global Positioning System (GPS) is crucial for animal behavior research.
- Differential correction enhances GPS location accuracy.
- Selective Availability (SA) previously impacted GPS precision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the effect of SA deactivation on GPS location accuracy.
- To compare non-differential and differential GPS accuracy before and after SA removal.
Main Methods:
- Tested GPS animal collars (non-differential and differential).
- Collected location data before and after SA cancellation (May 2000).
- Analyzed accuracy changes based on SA status.
Main Results:
- Significant accuracy improvement observed for both non-differential and differential GPS collars post-SA cancellation.
- Differential GPS consistently yielded higher location accuracy than non-differential GPS.
Conclusions:
- SA deactivation positively impacted GPS accuracy for wildlife tracking.
- Differential GPS remains the superior method for accurate animal movement studies.