International cooperation in geodesy

Cooperation helps to ensure the accuracy and comparability of data in different countries, which is important for both scientific research and practical applications around the world. Land and Spatial Development Board participates in international cooperation in the field of geodesy through the following organizations:

• European Reference Frame (EUREF) of the International Association of Geodesy
• Nordic Geodetic Commission (NKG)
• European Position Determination System (EUPOS)
• Struve Coordinating Committee
• European Permanent Network (EPN)

EUREF is the European working group of the IAG (International Association of Geodesy) reference frames. The EUREF subcommittee was formed in 1987 at the IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics) General Assembly in Vancouver.

The European reference frame is a geodetic infrastructure that requires accurate location information (e.g., three-dimensional and time-dependent positioning, geodynamics, accurate navigation); Its definition and management is carried out in cooperation with the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and EuroGeographics, the association of European national mapping, cadastral and land registry agencies.

EUREF

EUREF tasks:

• Definition, implementation, and management of the European Geodetic Reference System;
• Promotion of the European Terrestrial Reference System (ETRS89) and the European Vertical Reference System (EVRS) in partner countries;
• Development and management of the EUREF GNSS Permanent Network (EPN);
• Development and management of geodetic reference system implementations.

The EPN network is managed by a subcommittee of EUREF. The main objective of EPN is to ensure access to the European Reference System (ETRS89), which is the standard for precise GNSS coordinates in Europe. ETRS89 is supported by EuroGeographics and endorsed by the INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC, serving as the basis for location-based data at both national and international levels.

The EPN makes the GNSS data files from all EPN permanent stations available to the public, including their precise locations, velocities, and tropospheric parameters. With this data, the EPN helps monitor tectonic deformations, long-term climate changes, and sea level changes in Europe.

European network of permanent stations EPN

EUREF reference station network:

• continuously operating GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems, such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou) reference stations;
• data centers (access to GNSS reference station data);
• analysis centers (GNSS data analysis);
• various EPN products;
• a central office responsible for the daily monitoring and management of the EPN.

When using EPN data or products, please include the following reference: (Bruyninx C. et al. (2012), Enhancement of the EUREF Permanent Network Services and Products, "Geodesy for Planet Earth", IAG Symposia Series, Vol. 136, pp. 27-35, DOI:10.1007/978-3-642-20338-1_4).

The Nordic Geodetic Commission (NKG) is a geodetic association of the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland), with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as full members. The aim of the NKG is to provide its members with opportunities for cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience. Several projects have been carried out under the auspices of the NKG, such as the NKG geoid, the NKG GNSS computing center, the NKG land uplift model, and others.

Nordic geodetic commission NKG

NKG working groups:

• navigation and positioning working group – issues related to precise positioning, GNSS-RTK networks, standards, and guidance materials;
• geodynamics working group – geodynamic phenomena, gravimetric measurements;
• Geoid and height systems working group – NKG geoid calculation, height systems and their interrelationships;
• Reference frames working group – geodetic reference systems, GNSS calculation center, transformation models, GNSS vertical and horizontal velocity models.