The International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) was established in 1987 by the International Astronomical Union and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics and it began operation on 1 January 1988. It replaced the International Polar Motion Service (IPMS) and the earth-rotation section of the Bureau International de l'Heure (BIH); the activities of BIH on time are continued at Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). Since 1 January 2001 the IERS has got a new structure. In 2003 it was renamed to International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service.

IERS timeline

• Prehistory of the IERS, up to 1986
• History of the IERS, 1987 to 2003

Texts and documents on the history and prehistory of IERS

• The Foundation Phase and Establishment of the International Latitude Service at the end of the 19th Century (PDF, 718KB, Not barrier-free file.), by Andreas Haka

Past and current IERS officers

• IERS Directing Board, 1988-2000
• IERS Directing Board, 2001-2025
• Components of the IERS and their officers, 1988-2000
• Components of the IERS and their officers, 2001-2025
• IERS officers, 1988-2025
• IERS officers by country, 1988-2025

Former IERS components

• ITRS Combination Centre, NRCan, 2002-2012
• Combination Research Centres, 2001-2008
• Working Group on Combination, 2004-2008
• Working Group on Prediction, 2005-2009
• Working Group on the Second Realization of the ICRF, 2007-2014
• Working Group on Combination at the Observation Level, 2009-2016
• Working Group on Site Coordinate Time Series Format, 2012-2020
• GGFC Special Bureau for the Core, 2001-2009
• GGFC Special Bureau for the Mantle, 2001-2009
• GGFC Special Bureau for Tides, 2001-2009
• GGFC Special Bureau for Gravity/Geocenter, 2001-2009
• GGFC Special Bureau for Loading, 2002-2009

Historical documents

• Reports and Minutes
• IERS Terms of Reference, 1988 to 1999
• Calls for Proposals
• IERS Gazettes, 1996-2000

Historical documentation on the scientific and administrative activities of the BIH (1911-1987), of the MERIT Project (1978-1987), and of the first phase of IERS (1988-1997) is available at the Paris Observatory Library archive.
Contact: La.Bibliotheque@obspm.fr