[IGSMAIL-5452]: IERS WORKSHOP on GLOBAL GEOPHYSICAL FLUIDS: THIRD ANNOUNCEMENT

[central_bureau at iers.org]

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IGS Electronic Mail      25 Oct 00:14:42 PDT 2006      Message Number 5452
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Author: Tonie van Dam (IERS GGFC), Bernd Richter (IERS CB)


                IERS WORKSHOP on GLOBAL GEOPHYSICAL FLUIDS
                          THIRD ANNOUNCEMENT


The Global Geophysical Fluid Centre (GGFC) has the responsibility of
supporting, facilitating, and providing services to the scientific
research community, the IAG services and common users, in areas related
to the variations in Earth rotation, gravity field, geocentre, and
surface deformations that are caused by mass transport in the
atmosphere-hydrosphere-solid Earth-core system, or the global
geophysical fluids.

The main goal of the workshop will be the improvement of the IERS Global
Geophysical Fluid Centre (GGFC) products in accuracy, consistency,
stability, timeliness, user-friendly access, and documentation, to
contribute significantly to the "Global Geodetic Observation System"
(GGOS) and the users need.

The workshop will be held at

                            Hotel Grand Hyatt,
                               Union Square,
                      San Francisco, California, USA,

                           December 6- 7, 2006.


The original concept of a Global Geophysical Fluid Centre within the
IERS, in which Special Bureaus - defined by the fluids themselves - was
an excellent first step to serving the needs of the geodetic community.
Ten years on, the community and their needs have changed as the
precision of the geodetic observations has been significantly reduced.
The division of the GGFC along the lines of the fluid generating the
geodetic effect may no longer be sufficient.

For example, given the current GGFC set up, a user interested in precise
position determinations has to move between the various GGFC Special
Bureaus to obtain earth tide models (SBC/SBM/SBT), ocean-load tide
models (SBT), atmospheric load-tide models (IERS Conventions), surface
mass loading models (viscoelastic and elastic) (SBL) etc.

The GGFC would better serve the community such that the user described
above only needed to go to a single entry point to obtain all relevant
information. Therefore the time is right, to consider a restructuring
of the GGFC.

At this workshop we will take an insightful review of where we are and
discuss options for potential changes to the structure of the GGFC such
that today's users can easily find the models and data sets that they
need.


PROGRAMME

Wednesday, December 6, 2006  09:00h

Welcome and Motivation - van Dam, Richter, Rothacher

Introductory presentations by invitation

  -  "What can GGFC get from Gravity missions?" - Frank Flechner
  -  "What do scientists interested in deformation need from the GGFC?"
     - NN
  -  "What do scientists interested in earth rotation need from the
     GGFC?" - Richard Gross
  -  "What do scientists interested in time variable gravity need from
     the GGFC?" - NN
  -  "GGFC and GGOS"-Markus Rothacher

Status and Ideas for Changes/Restructuring
  -  Atmospheric Special Bureau
  -  Oceanic Special Bureau
  -  Hydrology Special Bureau
  -  Loading Special Bureau
  -  Gravity Special Bureau
  -  Mantle Special Bureau

Adjourn 17:00 h

Thursday, December 7, 2006  09:00 h

Status and Ideas for Changes/Restructuring (cont.)
  -  Tides Special Bureau
  -  Core Special Bureau

Considerations

  -  What should be the mission from the GGFC in terms of support to
     the different user groups?
  -  How does the GGFC actualise any change?
  -  Standard units and formats of products?
  -  How do we reorganize the web page?
  -  Do we distribute software as well as products?
  -  Do the SB chairs support a restructuring of the GGFC?

Final discussion

Action Item List, Schedule

Adjourn 16:00 h

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are interested in participation of the workshop please fill the
attached registration form, and send it back not later than November 22,
2006 by mail, fax or e-mail to

IERS Central Bureau
Subject: Workshop December 6 - 7, 2006

Bundesamt fuer Kartographie und Geodaesie
Richard Strauss Allee 11
D-60598 Frankfurt / Main
Germany

Fax: #49-69-6333-425
e-mail: central_bureau at iers.org


An on-line registration form will be available at the IERS Workshops
Web page at http://www.iers.org/MainDisp.csl?pid=66-32 where you will
find additional information on the workshop, too. The information
will be available from October 26, 2006.

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                                IERS WORKSHOP
                                     on
                          GLOBAL GEOPHYSICAL FLUIDS

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