[IGSMAIL-5806]: AGU08 Special Session G11: GNSS/GPS Observation Systems and Their Utility in Climate and Meteorological Applications

[Junhong Wang]

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IGS Electronic Mail      01 Aug 10:58:35 PDT 2008      Message Number 5806
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Author: Junhong (June) Wang

Dear IGS Colleagues:

You are sincerely invited to submit abstracts to a special session G11: 
"GNSS/GPS Observation Systems and Their Utility in Climate and 
Meteorological Applications" at the upcoming AGU fall meeting, 15-19 
December, San Francisco. See the session details below. The deadline for 
the abstract submission is 10 September 2359 UT.

Best regards

June

G11:     GNSS/GPS Observation Systems and Their Utility in Climate and 
Meteorological Applications
Sponsor:           Geodesy
CoSponsor:      Atmospheric Sciences
Convener:         Junhong Wang
National Center for Atmospheric Research
1850 Table Mesa Dr.
Boulder, CO, USA  80305
junhong at ucar.edu

Ian Thomas
Newcastle University
School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences
Cassie Building
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GBR   NE1 7RU
+44(0)191 2226739
Ian.thomas at ncl.ac.uk

John Braun
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
1850 Table Mesa Dr.
Boulder, CO, USA  80305
303.497.8018
braunj at ucar.edu

Description:      From a Geodesist's perspective, the neutral atmosphere 
remains a dominating error source in high precision science 
applications. From an atmospheric scientist's perspective, geodetic 
observational systems provide a unique platform to study water vapor in 
the Earth's atmosphere. The interface between these two disciplines 
creates an ideal opportunity for cross-discipline research and two-way 
collaboration of benefit to both communities. This session solicits 
input both from geodesists who are creating troposphere products and 
atmospheric scientists who are using these derived products to address 
questions related to both high precision geodesy and the global 
hydrological cycle. Suggestions of science and application questions of 
particular interest include:

. What impact do GNSS tropospheric estimates have on Numerical Weather 
Prediction (NWP) forecasts?

. How has the IGS05 reference frame, and the associated change to 
absolute antenna phase centers, impacted GNSS estimates for climate 
monitoring? How important is the consistent reprocessing of historical 
GNSS data for climate studies?

. How has the recent evolution in tropospheric mapping functions, 
including the Global Mapping Function (GMF), the Vienna Mapping Function 
(VMF), and other direct mapping algorithms impacted geodetic estimates 
of tropospheric parameters?

. How are NWP systems being used to improve estimates of geodetic 
parameters?

. What is the current state of the art in realtime and near-realtime 
applications of precipitable water vapor estimation for NWP applications?

. How can GNSS troposphere estimates be used to improve climate 
monitoring and sample the Earth's hydrological cycle?

. How can GNSS estimates of tropospheric water vapor be used to 
validate, calibrate or otherwise complement alternative remotely sensed 
datasets (e.g. those derived from AIRS, MODIS, AMSR-E, InSar), 
particularly in relation to previously poorly monitored regions of the 
Earth?

. What can we learn from GNSS measurements about the spatial and 
temporal variability in atmospheric water vapour on sub-daily to decadal 
timescales?

. What are the future possibilities and / or requirements for GNSS as a 
climatic or meteorological tool (e.g. Tomography), as we move into the 
third decade of GNSS measurements?