On behalf of the IERS the IERS WG on Site Survey and Co-location solicits participation in the following components necessary to perform the work envisaged in the IERS Site Survey and Co-location Pilot Project (SSCPP):

1. The SSCPP will seek participation in a test campaign (or campaigns) together with a series of analysis comparisons. This participation may be in any one or more of the following forms:
   Those groups undertaking terrestrial surveys at observatories with co-located techniques who are able to make their raw, reduced and/or adjusted data sets available for comparison of approaches (includes both existing and planned data sets);
2. Those groups undertaking the geometrical analysis for indirect invariant point determination who are able to make their analysis available (including geometrical models, additional parameter estimates, residuals, etc...);
3. Those groups prepared to undertake comparison of terrestrial survey results (i.e. comparison of survey approach and invariant point modelling) and terrestrial connection analysis (i.e. comparison of terrestrial survey results with inter-technique results); and
4. Those global combination analysis centres able to evaluate new terrestrial SINEX submissions (resulting from the SSCPP activities) for quality control and assessment.

The WG acknowledges that, due to logistical and financial constraints, there may be only a few groups who are able to travel to and observe at observatories outside their immediate area of interest and responsibility, so direct comparison of survey results from independent surveys may be limited. This should not however impede the comparison of approaches from the starting point of the raw, reduced or adjusted terrestrial results made available from previous or new surveys.

The IERS has no financial resources to support this Pilot Project. Proposers must provide their own financial resources to support their proposal.

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION in the IERS SITE SURVEY AND CO-LOCATION PILOT PROJECT (SSCPP) (PDF, 42KB, Not barrier-free file.)

Proposals should be submitted by December 17, 2004 (although proposals submitted at a later stage will also be welcome and evaluated), using the following Proposal Form:

PDF File: CALL FOR PARTICIPATION in the IERS SITE SURVEY AND CO-LOCATION PILOT PROJECT (SSCPP) (PDF, 82KB, Not barrier-free file.)

Word File: CALL FOR PARTICIPATION in the IERS SITE SURVEY AND CO-LOCATION PILOT PROJECT (SSCPP) (doc, 46KB, Not barrier-free file.)

ASCII File: CALL FOR PARTICIPATION in the IERS SITE SURVEY AND CO-LOCATION PILOT PROJECT (SSCPP) (txt, 3KB, Not barrier-free file.)

Proposal Review and Coordination

The IERS Working Group on Site Survey and Co-location will review and coordinate participation.

Unfortunately there is no universally accepted format for the exchange of raw/reduced survey data, as such data exchange procedures will be developed on a case by case basis in consultation with those groups involved in data exchange. Station coordinate parameter estimates shall be exchanged in SINEX format.

New survey and analysis activity should be scheduled so as to be completed before the August 2005 SSCPP evaluation.

SSCPP Schedule

November, 2004 Dissemination of this Call for Participation;
17 December, 2004 Deadline for responses to Call for Participation;
April, 2005 Review of the SSCPP (at the EGU meeting in Vienna);
August, 2005 Evaluation of the SSCPP and discussions regarding standards and future directions (at the IAG General Assembly, Cairns).

to the top