[IGSMAIL-5721]: AGU Session G11: Definition, densification and the inter-relation of reference frames for the Americas

[Mike Craymer]

******************************************************************************
IGS Electronic Mail      25 Feb 08:47:33 PST 2008      Message Number 5721
******************************************************************************

Author: Mike Craymer

Dear IGS Colleagues,

Abstracts are due 5 March 2359 UT for the 2008 Joint Assembly of AGU 
and a number of other Earth Science organizations to be held on 27-30 
May 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In particular, we invite 
contributions to the following special session.

G11: Definition, densification and the inter-relation of reference 
frames for the Americas: ITRF, NAD83, SIRGAS and SNARF

One of the main tasks of modern geodesy is to define and maintain 
terrestrial reference frames for measuring and mapping the Earth 
surface and its deformations. How well the reference frame can be 
realized has important implications for our ability to study both 
regional and global properties of the Earth, including post-glacial 
rebound, sea level change, plate tectonics, regional subsidence and 
loading, plate boundary deformation, and Earth orientation. A 
terrestrial reference frame is realized mainly through international 
and national conventions. Modern reference frames are defined through 
the use of space geodetic techniques such as VLBI, SLR, GPS and 
DORIS. None of these techniques is sensitive to all degrees of 
freedom of a reference frame (translation, rotation and scale). 
Information from each technique is needed to define a frame in its 
entirety. The wide use of GPS has also resulted in a number of 
efforts to densify the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 
(ITRF) in various regions, (e.g., the NAREF effort in North America 
and SIRGAS in South America), In addition, attempts have been made to 
establish more modern regional reference frames such as the Stable 
North American Reference Frame (SNARF). All of these frames must not 
only be "tied" to one another and to older, established reference 
frames, e.g., the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83), but also must 
maintain temporal and spatial continuity. This session seeks 
contributions from across the Americas on efforts to define, densify, 
inter-relate and utilize local, regional and international reference 
frames, and to discuss the impact such frames have on geodetic 
results, including national reference frames and the monitoring of 
sea level change, crustal deformation, glacial isostatic adjustment, 
etc.

To submit an abstract and for more information about the meeting go to

	<http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/>

Thank you and apologies for multiple postings.

Conveners:

Giovanni Sella <Giovanni.Sella at noaa.gov>
National Geodetic Survey
Silver Spring, MD, USA

Mike Craymer <craymer at nrcan.gc.ca>
Geodetic Survey Division, Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa, Canada