Russia threatens shutdown of GPS receiver stations
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027947
Science : As part of the diplomatic back-and-forth following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Russian officials have threatened to turn off 11 GPS receiver stations based within Russia unless the US installs similar receiver systems for Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). The possible 1 June shutdown of the GPS receivers would have no significant impact on the GPS network itself, but it would eliminate a data source for geoscientists. The receivers are used to track the tiny movements of continental plates and smaller land segments. If the shutdown occurs and lasts for a significant period of time, researchers could lose information relevant to seismology in an area covering Russia, China, and neighboring countries.
