Subject: [IGSMAIL-3906]: IERS SINEX Combination Campaign
From: Daniela Thaller <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 12:41:41 +0200

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IGS Electronic Mail      28 May 09:44:50 PDT 2002      Message Number 3906
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Author: Daniela Thaller

              IERS SINEX Combination Campaign

                   Call for Participation

Objective:

It is the intention of this campaign to combine 'weekly' solutions from
SINEX files of different techniques with station coordinates and EOPs
(and ICRF) and to assess systematic biases between the individual
techniques. New combination strategies should be developed by the
combination centres and the comparison of the different combined
solutions should result in an improvement of strategies, modeling and
parameterization. If appropriate combination methods are found, the
combined 'weekly' solutions may serve in the future as the basis for
routine EOP products and, as a long term goal, we can combine the
'weekly' solutions into 'multi-year' solutions including ITRF + EOP +
ICRF, where the resulting ITRF and ICRF are used to produce fully
consistent EOP series.
The IERS SINEX Combination Campaign will be organized in two major
steps:

1. Generation of solutions in SINEX (preferably 'weekly' solutions) for
the year 1999 (or more) with station coordinates + EOP (+ ICRF) by the
Analysis Centres of the individual techniques (Technique Centres) or
other interested groups.

2. Testing and combination of the 'weekly' technique solutions by the
IERS Combination Research Centres and other interested groups.

Creation of a SINEX data pool (preparation step; done by the IERS
Analysis Coordinator):

A data pool with SINEX files of the year 1999 of different techniques is
already established. It contains
- 28-days SLR solutions of eleven ILRS Analysis Centres that originate
from the ILRS pilot project 'positioning and earth orientation'
- VLBI solutions of all 1999 sessions generated by GSFC and IAA
- links to the weekly solutions of the seven IGS Analysis Centres of the
appropriate weeks of the year 1999
- weekly DORIS solutions for the year 1999, produced as a joint effort
of IGN and JPL
- ITRF2000 for each technique
- local ties (unfortunately not yet in SINEX format)

This data pool is accessible to everybody via the web site  of the IERS
Analysis Coordinator
  http://alpha.fesg.tu-muenchen.de/iers/
and it will be extended with the solutions contributing to the IERS
SINEX Combination Campaign.

Generation of SINEX solutions (first step):

In the first step of this campaign, the Technique Centres or other
interested groups are asked to produce 'weekly' solutions for the year
1999 and deliver them in SINEX format to the IERS:
- use ITRF2000 as terrestrial reference frame
- do not use tight constraints (use either loose constraints or minimum
constraints)
- if you use constraints, please submit (free) SINEX solutions as well
for testing purposes, to check whether the constraints are completely
removable.

Please respect the official format definition of SINEX, accessible via
the web site of the IERS Analysis Coordinator as well:
  http://alpha.fesg.tu-muenchen.de/iers/

The submitted solutions will be archived in the SINEX data pool
described above and made available to all participating groups for the
second step.

Combination of SINEX files (second step):

The IERS Combination Research Centres and other interested groups test
and combine these technique-specific SINEX solutions:
- detection of systematic biases between techniques
- test of different combination strategies
- improvement of strategies, modeling and parameterization

The first results may be presented at the IERS Combination Research
Workshop in Munich in early November 2002. The presentation of final
results and recommendations on strategies, modeling, standards, ... is
planned for the EGS General Assembly in Nice 2003.

If you are interested in producing and / or combining such SINEX files
or contribute to this campaign in any another way, please fill out the
attached call for participation form!
You can either submit the form via email or you can send us a hardcopy
(fax or mail).

Please submit your proposal by June 15, 2002!

Munich, 28.05.2002
Markus Rothacher, Daniela Thaller
IERS Analysis Coordination

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              IERS SINEX Combination Campaign

                Call for Participation Form

Recipient:

IERS Central Bureau
Bundesamt fuer Kartographie und Geodaesie
Richard-Strauss-Allee 11
60598 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
fax: ++49-69-6333-425
email: [email-masked]

or

Markus Rothacher
IERS Analysis Coordinator
Forschungseinrichtung Satellitengeodaesie
Technische Universitaet Muenchen
Arcisstr. 21
80333 Muenchen
Germany
fax: ++49-89-289-23178
email: [email-masked]

Who is participating?

  Name (primary scientist):

  Organization or institute:

  Mailing address:

  Phone:
  Fax:
  Email:
  Cooperating organizations / institutes:

  Research associates:

Generation of SINEX solutions (first step):

Will you generate SINEX solutions?   yes/no

What type of SINEX solutions will you produce?

  Technique (VLBI, GPS, SLR, ...):

  Time span of all submitted solutions (the whole year 1999 or
otherwise):

  Period covered by each single solution (weekly, monthly, ...):

  Reference frame used:

  Constraints used:

  Reference sites used:

  Description of solution:

  Analysis approach used:

  Comments on your solutions:

  Suggestions:

Combination of SINEX files (second step):

  Are you interested in combining SINEX solutions?   yes/no

  Proposed analysis (short description):

  Suggestions:

Schedule

  Deadline for proposals:  June 15, 2002

  Envisaged deadline for submission of SINEX files (preferably before
August 15, 2002):

For a more detailed description of your project you can attach your own
proposal as file.

  Attachement:

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Daniela Thaller
Forschungseinrichtung Satellitengeodaesie
Technische Universitaet Muenchen
Arcisstrasse 21
D-80290 Muenchen / Germany
Phone :  ++49-89-289-23186
Fax   :  ++49-89-289-23178
E-mail:  [email-masked]