Technical Article

Improving the global Total Electron Content maps provided by the Ionosphere Monitoring and Prediction Center – preliminary results

Institute for Solar-Terrestrial Physics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Kalkhorstweg 53, 17235 Neustrelitz, Germany

^* Corresponding author: Erik.Schmoelter@dlr.de

Received: 12 February 2025
Accepted: 18 September 2025

Abstract

Total electron content (TEC) maps are essential for understanding the temporal and spatial variability of the ionosphere, which is of particular importance during the current solar cycle with its multitude of extreme space weather events. This study presents an improved method for the global TEC map of the Ionosphere Monitoring and Prediction Center (IMPC) by incorporating an algorithm based on radial basis function interpolation. By refining the generation of the global TEC map, the accuracy and granularity of ionospheric gradients, which occur during these events, are significantly improved. The validation through comprehensive comparisons with the established TEC map and the global TEC map of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) confirms that the new algorithm outperforms previous results. Thus, a more robust framework for ionospheric research and application is provided. TEC gradients derived from the improved TEC maps are important for understanding the space weather impact on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) applications. The new results can support these with more reliable and consistent predictions by accurately capturing these gradients.