News and Activities
GGOS IberAtlantic (GGOS IA) functions as a regional node of GGOS, focusing on geodetic activities across the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic region. GGOS IA fosters collaboration among geodetic institutions while promoting scientific research and technological development tailored to the region’s unique geophysical characteristics.
GGOS IberAtlantic:
GGOS, 🏛️ Organisation NewsA new GGOS Affiliate
A GGOS Affiliate is a national or regional organisation that coordinates geodetic activities in that country or region. GGOS Affiliates provide a forum for multi-technique space geodetic discussions, work to improve the quality of space geodetic observations, and encourage cooperation between the various agencies in that country or region that own, operate, and maintain the space geodetic infrastructure there.
During the GGOS Days 2022 (14-15 November 2022 in Munich, Germany) our colleagues Esther Azcue Infanzón and José Antonio López Fernández from the Yebes Observatory, Instituto Geográfico Nacional of Spain approached GGOS to evaluate the possibility of establishing a GGOS Affiliate. In 2023, they hosted the GGOS Days 2023 (20-22 September 2023 in Alcalá de Henares and Yebes Observatory, Spain) and gave dedicated presentations on the status of geodesy in Spain and Portugal, which provided a framework to concretise the proposal for GGOS IberAtlantic.
(13 m) VLBI radio telescope of the RAEGE project (Red Atlántica de Estaciones Geodinámicas y Espaciales), a joint project of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional of Spain and the Government of the Azores, Portugal, and (40 m) radio telescope in Yebes, Spain. Courtesy of Esther Azcue Infazón.
Based on the outcomes of the GGOS Days 2023, the national geodetic authorities of both countries, the Instituto Geográfico Nacional and the National Section of Geodesy in Spain and the Direção Geral do Território in Portugal, signed letters of intent and defined terms of reference to initiate the operation of GGOS IberAtlantic. In March 2024, GGOS received a formal request to create the GGOS subsidiary GGOS IberAtlantic and on 12 April 2024, the GGOS Governing Board unanimously approved GGOS IberAtlantic. We, the GGOS Executive Committee, welcome the Spanish and Portuguese colleagues to GGOS: Esther Azcue Infanzón, Helena Cristina Ribeiro, Luisa Magalhaes, José Antonio López Fernández, Marcelino Valdés Pérez De Vargas, and Manuel Ángel Sánchez Piedra, and highly appreciate their contribution. GGOS IberAtlantic now joins the two existing GGOS Affiliates: GGOS Japan and GGOS D-A-CH.
Laura Sánchez, GGOS President
Martin Sehnal, Director of the GGOS Coordinating Office
29th April 2024
A new GGOS Affiliate
Establishment of an
IAG, 🏛️ Organisation NewsIAG Secretariat at BEV
The International Association of Geodesy (IAG) is a beacon of cooperation and innovation in the field of geodesy and promotes research and cooperation worldwide. Since its foundation in 1862, Austria has been a cornerstone as one of the three founding members, and numerous Austrian institutions and universities have contributed to its further development.
BEV – Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying of Austria (Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen)
Among these institutions, the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (BEV – Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen) in Austria is a loyal supporter of geodesy. In particular, the BEV continues to make an important contribution by analyzing various geodetic space technologies such as GNSS and VLBI and regularly participates in international comparative measurements of its absolute gravimeter. Since 2016, the BEV has also been home to the Coordination Office of the IAG’s Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS).
Building on the success of the GGOS Coordination Office in recent years, the IAG proposed the establishment of an IAG Secretariat at BEV – an idea warmly embraced by all parties involved. On April 16, 2024, an important milestone was reached when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the IAG and the BEV, initiating the establishment of this IAG Secretariat. This milestone was announced and celebrated at the Geodesy Reception on April 17, 2024, at the BEV headquarter in Vienna during the EGU General Assembly, which was attended by more than 140 international geodesists.
After the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, which initiated the establishment of the IAG Secretariat at BEV on April 16, 2024. ©BEV – From left to right: Wernher Hoffmann (BEV President), Harald Schuh (past IAG President), Richard Gross (IAG President), Franz Blauensteiner (Head of Reference Systems Department, BEV), Daniela Thaller (IAG Secretary General), Martin Sehnal (Director of GGOS Coordination Office and Executive Secretary at IAG Secretariat, BEV), Peter Teunissen (IAG Vice-President).
The future IAG Secretariat will take over the long-term tasks of the IAG Secretary General (IAG Office) as well as all IAG public relations tasks currently performed by the IAG Communications and Outreach Branch (COB). In future, this will enable seamless cooperation with the GGOS Coordination Office and reduce duplication of work. Plans are underway to formalize the establishment of the IAG Secretariat by the next IUGG General Assembly in 2027, subject to final confirmation by the IAG Council. BEV and the prospective Executive Secretary of the IAG Secretariat, Martin Sehnal, look forward to taking on an enhanced organizational role in international geodetic matters in the future and further highlighting the importance of geodesy in both science and society.
Announcement of the establishment of the IAG Secretariat at BEV during the EGU Geodesy Reception at BEV headquarter in Vienna on April 17, 2024. ©BEV
By Martin Sehnal, Director of the GGOS Coordinating Office
IAG Secretariat at BEV
New Director of Bureau of Networks and Observations
GGOS, 🏛️ Organisation NewsWe are pleased to announce that our colleagues
have taken over the coordination of the GGOS BNO (Bureau of Networks and Observations) as Director and Deputy Director respectively. Their professional expertise guarantees a successful contribution to the further development of GGOS. We warmly welcome José and Martin and greatly appreciate their support.
We do not want to end this message without paying tribute to Mike Pearlman for all his efforts and successes over the past years at the helm of the BNO. We also thank him for his willingness to continue as a member of the BNO and to assist José and Martín in the transition.
Kind regards
Laura Sánchez, GGOS President
Martin Sehnal, Director of the GGOS Coordinating Office