NATIONAL REPORT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF ... - IAG Office

After the restructuring of the IAG in 2003 the Inter-Commission
Committee on Theory (ICCT) partly fulfills the
tasks formerly attributed to IAG Section IV on Geodetic
Theory and Methodology. Since in the new IAG structure
the more topics-oriented work has been shifted to the
commissions, the objective of the ICCT is mainly the
“pure” theoretical research on a mathematical and physical
basis. In view of the unprecedented high accuracy, resolution
and quality of geodetic observing systems and data the
ICCT concentrates on the study of new mathematical and
physical models which may be used in different commissions.
Thus, the ICCT is responsible for stimulating mathematical
and physical research motivated by geodetic
practice, as a contribution to geodetic science and the
foundations of Geodesy. Furthermore, the ICCT provides
communication links to Mathematics, Physics and Geophysics
and aims at attracting young talents of these
branches of science to Geodesy, and serves as a home and
platform to mathematically motivated geodesists and to
application-oriented mathematicians and physicists. As a
matter of fact, there exist close ties to the IAG Commissions.
In the period 2003-2007 the scientific work in the ICCT
has been organized in the following sub-structure entities:
Working Groups:
– WG-ICCT1: Inverse Problems and Global Optimization
(Chair: J. KUSCHE, Germany)
– WG-ICCT2: Dynamic Theories of Deformation and
Gravity Field (Chair: D. WOLF, Germany)
– WG-ICCT3: Functional Analysis, Field Theory and
Differential Equations (Chair: J. YU, China)
Inter-Commission Study Groups:
– IC-SG2.5: Aliasing in Gravity Field Modelling (joint
with Commission 2; chair: C.C. TSCHERNING, Denmark)
– IC-SG2.6 Multiscale Modelling of the Gravity Field
(joint with Commission 2; chair: W. FREEDEN, Germany)
– IC-SG4.2 Statistics and Geometry in Mixed Linear
Models, with Applications to GPS and InSAR (joint with
commission 4; chair: A. DERMANIS, Greece)
Inter-Commission Working groups:
–IC-WG1: Quality Measures, Quality Control and Quality
Improvement (joint with Commissions 1 and 2; chair:
H. KUTTERER, Germany)
Overview and Highlights
B. HECK 1
1 Bernhard Heck: Geodätisches Institut, Universität Karlsruhe, Englerstraße 7, D - 76128 Karlsruhe, Germany, Tel. +49 - 721 - 608 3674,
Fax +49 - 721 - 608 68 08, e-mail heck@gik.uni-karlsruhe.de
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–IC-WG2: Integrated Theory for Crustal Deformation
(joint with Commissions 1 and 3; chair: K. HEKI, Japan)
–IC-WG3: Satellite Gravity Theory (joint with Commissions
1 and 2; chair: N. SNEEUW, Germany)
The strong representation of German scientists in the work
of the ICCT can easily be recognized form the nationality
of the chair persons and members of these sub-entities.
The scientific work has been documented by publications
in peer-reviewed international journals such as Journal of
Geodesy, Geophysical Journal International, Journal of
Geophysical Research, and others, as well as in national
journals and publication series, in particular ZfV (Zeitschrift
für Vermessungswesen), AVN (Allgemeine Vermessungs-
Nachrichten) and the series published by the German
Geodetic commission. Many results have also been presented
at international symposia, national meetings and
workshops of the working groups. For the ICCT the Joint
Assembly of the IAG, IAPSO and IABO “Monitoring and
Understanding a Dynamic Planet with Geodetic and
Oceanographic Tools”, which took place on 22-26 Aug.
2005 in Cairns/Australia, had a strong importance, as well
as the 6th Hotine-Marussi Symposium (29 May – 2 June
2006, Wuhan/China); while the former Hotine-Marussi
Symposia traditionally had been organized in old Italian
cities, the venue was shifted to China in order to attract
more young researchers from Far East. Furthermore, the
IAG Symposium on Gravity, Geoid and Space Missions
– GGSM2004 (30 Aug.- 3 Sept. 2004, Porto/Portugal), the
1st International Symposium of the IGFS (28 Aug. - 1 Sept.
2006, Istanbul/Turkey) and the Commission 1 Symposium
on Geodetic Reference Frames GRF2006 (9-13 Oct. 2006,
Munich/Germany) have to be mentioned, where significant
and numerous contributions by German geodesists related
to the ICCT have been made. On the national basis, the
series of annual meetings Geodätische Woche (Geodetic
Week) has been continued (2003 Hamburg, 2004 Stuttgart,
2005 Düsseldorf, 2006 Munich); these workshops,
organized in the framework of the annual INTERGEO
congress, in particular addressed young researchers and
PhD students in Geodesy.
Geodetic theory and methodology is also reflected in text
books published by German authors in the period of report:
In 2003 G. SEEBER presented the second, completely
revised and extended edition of his text book Satellite
Geodesy (W. de Gruyter, Berlin/New York). An overview
about classical wavelet analysis and geodetic applications
is provided in the volume Wavelets in Geodesy and Geodynamics
by W. KELLER (W. de Gruyter, Berlin/New York,