Evaluation of SBAS-Enhanced Positioning Performance Under Different Latitudes and Geomagnetic Activity Levels

The ionosphere is a major error source in single-frequency GNSS positioning, and Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) mitigate this effect by providing real-time correction information. However, the performance of SBAS under different latitude regions and geomagnetic activity levels still requires further evaluation. Taking EGNOS as an example, this study assesses SBAS-enhanced positioning performance using data from nine IGS stations across Europe. The experiments cover relatively low-, mid-, and high-latitude regions within the EGNOS service area, four representative quarters in 2023, and two disturbed geomagnetic events. Results show: (1) SBAS significantly improves positioning accuracy in all latitude regions, with overall improvement rates ranging from 62.11% to 83.51%. (2) The relatively low-latitude region achieves the largest performance gains, while the mid-latitude region provides the most stable and accurate results. (3) Under disturbed geomagnetic conditions, SBAS still outperforms conventional SPP, but its performance decreases compared with low-Kp periods, with latitude-dependent degradation observed at both MAS1 and SOD3. (4) The integrity analysis further shows that APV II availability reaches 91.85%, whereas CAT I availability decreases to 86.95% under disturbed conditions. Overall, SBAS effectively improves single-frequency positioning accuracy, stability, and integrity, but its performance remains affected by latitude and geomagnetic activity.