Abstract
Geodynamics has become the subject of intensive international research during the last decade, involving plate tectonics, both on the intra-plate and inter-plate scale, i.e., the study of crustal movements, and the study of earth rotation and of other dynamic phenomena such as the tides. Interrelated are efforts improving our knowledge of the gravity and magnetic fields of the earth. A common requirement for all these investigations is the necessity for a well-defined reference coordinate system (or systems) to which all relevant observations can be referred and in which theories or models for the dynamic behavior of the earth can be formulated. In view of the unprecedented progress in the ability of geodetic observational systems to measure crustal movements and the rotation of the earth, as well as in theory and model development, there is a great need for the theoretical definition, practical realization, and international acceptance of suitable coordinate system(s) to facilitate such work. This article deals with certain aspects of the establishment and maintenance of such a coordinate system.
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Mueller, I.I. Reference coordinate systems and frames: Concepts and realization. Bull. Geodesique 59, 181–188 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02520609
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02520609