The International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS) supports researchers who use satellites in the U.S. Defense Department's Global Positioning System (GPS) for studies in geodynamics. GPS satellites transmit signals that allow one to determine, with great accuracy, the locations of GPS receivers. The receivers can be fixed on the Earth, in moving vehicles, ... aircraft, or in low-Earth orbiting satellites. The time evolution of receiver locations allows researchers to study the motions of tectonic plates, displacements associated with earthquakes, earth orientation, and other geophysically interesting phenomena. Global Positioning System (GPS) uses microwave measurements of range (transmitter-to-receiver distance), accurate to within a centimeter or less, to determine positions of stations on the Earth's surface. Relative site positions can be measured to within a centimeter. This system was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for military navigation and timing.
The INTERNATIONAL GPS SERVICE FOR GEODYNAMICS (IGS), a service established by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), officially started its activities on January 1, 1994, after a successful pilot phase of more than one year. IGS is based on about 40 globally distributed permanent GPS tracking sites, three Global Data Centers, five Operational or Regional Data Centers, seven Analysis Centers, and a Central Bureau. Some fifty institutions and organizations contribute to these activities.
IGS routinely provides : * High-quality orbits for all GPS satellites (estimated accuracy better than 20 cm) * Earth Rotation Parameters * Contributions to the determination of the tracking site coordinates in the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), in cooperation with the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) * Phase and pseudorange observations in daily RINEX files for each IGS tracking site
The tracking data are available at various Data Centers, the individual orbits determined by the Analysis Centers at the Global Data Centers, and the combined official IGS orbits at the Central Bureau and the Global Data Centers.
To reach the Central Bureau, FTP to sideshow.jpl.nasa.gov, login anonymous, use your internet address, as password, and change directory to /igscb.
The IGS Central Bureau Information System (CBIS) is accessible by : * Internet (anonymous ftp, sideshow.jpl.nasa.gov, directory /igscb) * World Wide Web (http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov, using e.g. MOSAIC or LYNX) * E-mail using an ftp server (infos available at the Central Bureau)
This Information System consists of a collection of ASCII files easily accessible through anomymous ftp. The file TREE.TXT contains a synopsis of the directory structure and the files found in the system. There is a small program available (called "cbis") that facilitates the downloading and immediate display of files from the Information System (see in the directories /igscb/software/unix, .../vms, and .../dos). The CBIS contains: * information about the availability of tracking data and IGS products, the access to tracking data and IGS products, data file formats, the IGS data and analysis centers, the IGS tracking stations, the current status of the Global Positioning System * IGS orbits, IERS earth rotation parameters * mail and e-mail addresses * access software, compress/decompress routines * IGS Mail: An archive of exchanges among IGS participants. * IGS Reports: An archive of reports from IGS Data and Analysis Centers. These collections, with other data, are also available via anonymous FTP.
Please direct questions to the Central Bureau. Geographic Coverage
Name:
JIM
ZUMBERGE Email:
jfz at cobra.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact Address:
IGS Central Bureau
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
M/S 238-600
4800 Oak Grove Drive City:
Pasadena
Province or State:
CA
Postal Code:
91109
Country:
USA
Distribution
Distribution Media:
on-line - accessible by anonymous FTP or WWW (World Wide Web)
Personnel
ROBERT
LIU Role:
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone:
818-354-1836
Fax:
818-393-4965
Email:
robliu at cobra.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact Address:
IGS Central Bureau
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
M/S 238-600
4800 Oak Grove Drive City:
Pasadena
Province or State:
CA
Postal Code:
91109
Country:
USA
JIM
ZUMBERGE Role:
INVESTIGATOR
Email:
jfz at cobra.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact Address:
IGS Central Bureau
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
M/S 238-600
4800 Oak Grove Drive City:
Pasadena
Province or State:
CA
Postal Code:
91109
Country:
USA
Links
