Minutes – 2nd Advisory Board meeting of the International Gravity Field Service

Held in Cairns, Australia (IAG-IAPSO Dynamic Planet Conference), August 23, 2005, at 1800.

Participants:

R. Forsberg, J. P. Barriot, J. Neymeyer, B. Ducarme, J. Huang, S. Kenyon, P. Holota, S. Bettadpur, Bahadir Aktug, R. Schmidt, P. Novak

Agenda:

1. Status of IGFS and services: BGI, IGeS, ICET, ICGEM, IDEMS

2. GGOS activities (RF)

3. Joint activities of services (schools etc.), other future intiatives

4. Istanbul meeting 2006

5. AOB

1. Chairman of IGFS (Rene Forsberg) welcomed participants in the meeting, and informed of current status of IGFS, including new web site. Srinivas Bettadpur (Center for Space Research, University of Texas) was confirmed to serve on IGFS advisory board, completing the list of board members.

BGI made status report, and announced that after a French review process, funding for BGI operations in the coming years was now secured. There is a.o. funding for 1.5 technician, and a program for training of young visiting scientists. J. P. Barriot, director of BGI, announced plans to withdraw as Director of BGI from the next IAG General Assemby 2007.

ICET Director B. Ducarme announced he also retires 2007. IAG to make call for new director and host organization for ICET.

ICGEM J. Neumeyer and R. Schmidt, GFZ, was to represent ICGEM after the death of P.Schwintzer.

NGA S. Kenyon informed on current NGA activities in preparation of the new global geopotential model EGM06, complete to degree 2160. The EGM06 will be based on 5’ data in some regions, 15’ data in others. The IGFS can serve important role in aid for release of more data, to improve quality of EGM06. The IGFS will also take role in validation of the model by independent data, especially through the joint WG with IAG Comm. 2.

2. Global Geodetic Observing System status was given by RF. New chairman of the GGOS project will be M. Rotacher, GFZ. The GGOS will primarily coordinate the work of the services of IAG, to support a highest level accuracy and consistency for the three fundamental pillars of geodesy: reference frame, earth rotation/geodynamics and gravity field. IGFS will continue to be represented in the steering body of IGFS (RF to take this role until 2007; S. Bettadpur will also participate on behalf of satellite missions).

3. Microgravimetry school of BGI-ICET; joint journal of BGI-IGeS are current activities. It was discussed that there is a need for coordinating global work in absolute gravimetry, BGI to make proposal for absolute measurement documentation as first step in process. O. Francis suggested to lead ad-hoc working group on this.

4. B. Aktug presented status and plans for Istanbul meeting 2006. All arrangements fine, and scientific committee in place. Web site to go online shortly.

5. RF informed on plans to arrange special regional workshop “Vertical datum and geoid in the Asia-Pacific”, Mongolia, June 2006, focused on practical problems. It was approved as an IGFS workshop.

A brief discussion of a future satellite altimetry service was held; it was agreed that the service has a much broader scope than just gravity field, so discussion should be at IAG-IAPSO level.

Meeting ended at 1930.