In this paper we study how GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo navigation signals arecompromised by strong irregularities causing severe phase scintillation($\mathit{\sigma }_{\phi }$ > 1) in the nightside high-latitude ionosphereduring a substorm on 3 November 2013. Substorm onset and a laterintensification coincided with polar cap patches entering the auroral oval tobecome auroral blobs. Using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)receivers and optical data, we show severe scintillation driven by intenseauroral emissions in the line of sight between the receiver and the satellites.During substorm expansion, the area of scintillation followed the intensepoleward edge of the auroral oval. The intense auroral emissions were colocatedwith polar cap patches (blobs). The patches did not contain strongirregularities, neither before entering the auroral oval nor after the aurorahad faded. Signals from all three GNSS constellations were similarly affectedby the irregularities. Furthermore, two receivers spaced around 120km apartreported highly different scintillation impacts, with strong scintillation onhalf of the satellites in one receiver and no scintillation in the other. Thisshows that areas of severe irregularities in the nightside ionosphere can behighly localized. Amplitude scintillations were low throughout the entireinterval.
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