BPS – GGOS Committee on
Essential Geodetic Variables (EGV)
Chair: Thomas Gruber (Germany)
The GGOS BPS Committee on Essential Geodetic Variables was established in 2018 in order to define a list of Essential Geodetic Variables and to assign requirements to them. Essential Geodetic Variables (EGVs) are observed variables that are crucial (essential) to characterizing the geodetic properties of the Earth and that are key to sustainable geodetic observations. Examples of EGVs might be the positions of reference objects (ground stations, radio sources), Earth orientation parameters, ground- and space-based gravity measurements, etc. Once a list of EGVs has been determined, requirements can be assigned to them. Examples of requirements might be accuracy, spatial and temporal resolution, latency, etc.
These requirements on the EGVs can then be used to assign requirements to EGV-dependent products like the terrestrial and celestial reference frames. The EGV requirements can also be used to derive requirements on the observing systems that are used to observe the EGVs. And the list of EGVs can serve as the basis for a gap analysis to identify observations needed to fully characterize the geodetic properties of the Earth. During GGOS Days 2017 it was agreed that a Committee within the GGOS Bureau of Products and Standards should be established in order to define the list of Essential Geodetic Variables and to assign requirements to them. This Committee was subsequently established in 2018 and consists of representatives of the IAG Services, Commissions, Inter-Commission Committees, and GGOS Focus Areas.
Tasks
The tasks of the Committee on Essential Geodetic Variables are to:
- Develop criteria for choosing from the set of all geodetic variables those that are considered essential
- Develop a scheme for classifying EGVs
- Within each class, define a list of EGVs
- Assign requirements to each EGV
- Document each EGV including its requirements, techniques by which it is observed, and point-of-contact for further information about the EGV
- Perform a gap analysis to identify potential new EGVs
- Define a list of geodetic products that depend on each EGV
- Assign requirements to the EGV-dependent products
- Hold workshops to engage the geodetic community in the process of defining EGVs, determining their dependent products, and assigning requirements to them
Members
