geodesy

Regional Reference Frames: Keeping Track of a Deforming Earth

Ratnesh Kushwaha August 28, 2026

Figure courtesy: Öykü Koç

You are observing the construction of a bridge that will be initiated on the two banks of a river simultaneously, in such a way that the works will eventually meet in the middle of the river. You wonder, how do they make sure that the construction on the two sides will stay aligned with the millimeter precision that this project requires? You are aware of previous constructions where small miscalc ...[Read More]

From Quasars to Coordinates: How VLBI Measures Earth’s Shape and Motion

Mina Rahmani June 26, 2026

Figure courtesy: Öykü Koç

Imagine determining the position of a point on Earth with millimeter precision using radio signals from celestial objects billions of light-years away. This may sound like science fiction, but it is exactly what Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) allows scientists to do. What is VLBI? Long before satellites and digital maps, people looked to the sky and used celestial objects—most commonly t ...[Read More]

What’s up for geodesy during the upcoming EGU26?

Geodesy ECS Team April 21, 2026

Austria Center Vienna (Picture courtesy: Holger Steffen).

It’s this time of the year again when we all meet up in Vienna and talk about our latest scientific results and, more importantly, network with old and new colleagues. The EGU General Assembly (GA) EGU26 will take place again in a hybrid format. The scientific programme consists, as usual, of oral and poster presentations, Pico sessions, networking opportunities, and short courses. All scientific ...[Read More]

Bits and Bites of Geodesy – Satellite Gravimetry: Studying Earth’s water cycle from space

Kiana Karimi February 27, 2026

Figure courtesy: Öykü Koç

During winter, mountains gain mass because of snow covering the peaks. In spring, the snow melts and flows downstream until it reaches the ocean or evaporates into the atmosphere to reach back on the surface as rain or snow. The global water cycle is very complex and essential for life on our planet. Did you know we can measure how the water is distributed by measuring its mass from space? How can ...[Read More]