Precise Geodetic Infrastructure National Requirements for a Shared Resource (2010) / Chapter Skim
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6 Support for the Precise Geodetic Infrastructure
6 Support for the Precise Geodetic Infrastructure
Pages 101-112
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From page 101... ...
The primary conclusion of this analysis is that the geodetic infrastructure has become increasingly fragile as a consequence of delayed replacement of aging components, lack of redundancy with single-point-of-failure designs, imperfect collaboration among contributors, reductions in the trained geodetic workforce due to retirements, and ongoing tightening of operations and maintenance budgets. These factors combined pose a risk of a sudden, drastic loss of geodetic observing capability (see also NRC, 2007c)
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From page 102... ...
Based on its review of prior studies and the scientific literature as well as interviews with members of stakeholder communities, the committee developed a set of recommendations for the maintenance and long-term sustainability of the geodetic infrastructure servicing the full range of existing and future users.1 These recommendations touch on the national and global fundamental station network,2 high-precision, real-time GNSS/GPS networks, international collaboration and cooperation, education of the geodetic science workforce, and long-term support of federal geodetic services. These specific recommendations, discussed in the rest of this chapter, all derive from the committee's core recommendation: Recommendation: The united States, to maintain leadership in industry and science, and as a matter of national security, should invest in maintaining and improving the geodetic infrastructure through upgrades in network design and construction, modernization of current observing systems, deployment of improved multi-technique observing capabili ties, and funding opportunities for research, analysis, and education in global geodesy.
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From page 103... ...
These current and future applications illustrate that the geodetic infrastructure and its related data sets are public goods, in the same sense that national highway systems or weather-prediction services are public goods. Previous National Research Council reports have made the case that raw environmental data are a public good and, as such, should be supported by taxpayers (NRC, 2001)
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From page 104... ...
Recommendation: In the long term, the united States should deploy additional stations to complement and increase the density of the international geodetic network in a coop erative effort with its international partners, with a goal of reaching a global geodetic network of at least 24 fundamental stations. Other countries have recognized the importance of contributing to the global geodetic infra structure to support the Global Geodetic Observing System initiative, as well as to advance their own national geodetic goals.
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From page 105... ...
With long-term maintenance, densification, and upgrades to facilitate tracking of other navigation satellite constellations, the PBO network would serve the dual purposes of providing both a national backbone for high-precision applications and local reference stations for surveyors and local commercial and governmental service providers. While there is an overlap between the PBO and other geodetic networks (for example, CORS and state networks)
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From page 106... ...
Given the geographic and temporal gaps in coverage, degrading infrastructure, and potential loss of data continuity for key geodetic observing systems, and given the increased leverage of col laboratively funded efforts, it is in the interest of the United States to make a long-term commitment to a strong IGS network. This commitment includes support for operation and maintenance of a global network of homogeneous, high-quality sites supporting IGS standards within and outside the United States.
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From page 107... ...
Although this system has served the scientific community and the general public well, there remains a persistent danger that competing priorities could pose a risk to the continued global operation of the geodetic infrastructure. Specifically, a long-term national commitment to the primary global geodetic product -- the ITRF -- would by de facto imply a long-term commitment to the geodetic infrastructure, which is needed to ensure the continuity and stability of the ITRF and the many geodetic observing systems that depend on it.
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From page 108... ...
It consists of: (1) interdependent precise geodetic techniques (mainly VLBI, GNSS/GPS, and SLR, but also grav ity, altimetry, and geodetic imaging)
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From page 109... ...
Fortunately, the discipline of geodesy offers a conceptual framework that has proven successful on a global scale and that could be adapted to satisfy national needs. Recommendation: The united States should establish a federal geodetic service to co ordinate and facilitate the modernization and long-term operation of the national and global precise geodetic infrastructure to ensure convenient, rapid, and reliable access to consistent and accurate geodetic data and products by government, academic, commer cial, and public users.
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From page 110... ...
Reflecting previous recommendations, the action items of a federal geodetic service for the recommendations, operation and modernization of the geodetic infrastructure should include: • upgrading the United States' components of the SLR and VLBI networks, and processing the data from these networks to a level of accuracy equal to or surpassing current best performance; • constructing scientific-quality GNSS/GPS sites throughout the United States, converting CORS sites to PBO standards of accuracy and stability where necessary and practicable; and • transitioning PBO stations from research to operations upon completion of the NSF- funded the EarthScope experiment. In addition to these previously described recommendations, the committee also recommends the federal geodetic service take on coordination and supervisory roles to ensure that all stakehold ers adopt common standards and common data products, and that these products are generated and distributed using the most efficient, state-of-the-art mechanisms available.
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From page 111... ...
Periodic independent advice from stakeholders in the public and private spheres and those operating at the local and global level would ensure that the service continues to provide reliable access to accurate geodetic information. CONCLuSION The development and deployment of a global precise geodetic infrastructure over the last several decades not only represents a scientific and technological tour de force, but has truly been a classical case of disruptive technology.
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