Correlation Analysis between Terrain Features and eLoran Spatial ASF according to DEM Spatial Resolution

Abstract

The ASF is a major source of positioning error in eLoran system and is affected by terrain characteristics along the signal propagation path. This study analyzes the correlations between spatial ASF and path-based terrain features using NASA SRTM 30m and NGII 90m DEMs. Path mean elevation and path mean slope were extracted along the propagation paths from the Gwangju eLoran transmitter to measurement locations in the Incheon and Pyeongtaek port areas. The results show that both terrain features are strongly correlated with spatial ASF, with the higher-resolution NASA SRTM DEM generally exhibiting stronger correlations, particularly for path mean slope. These findings demonstrate the importance of DEM spatial resolution in terrain-based spatial ASF analysis and provide a basis for selecting terrain data for future machine-learning-based ASF prediction