UNAVCO Community and Facility Support: Geodesy Advancing Earth Science Research

Meertens通过本合作协议提供的资金将在五年内支持联合国志愿人员组织全球定位系统和大地测量技术支持设施的持续管理和运作。 联合国志愿人员组织设施由联合国志愿人员组织公司管理。（以下简称UNAVCO）是一家非营利公司，由UNAVCO成员选举的董事会管理，董事会主要由在大地测量学领域开展积极研究方案的美国学术机构组成。 目前有100多个成员机构。 联合国志愿人员组织的使命是促进测量地壳变形的高精度技术。 该设施由NSF地球科学部，极地计划办公室和NASA支持（通过年度机构转移）的职责包括：1）维护国家科学基金会支持的科学家可用的最先进的全球定位系统设备池; 2）提供专门用于国家科学基金会和美国宇航局资助的全球定位系统和大地测量技术项目规划，后勤和现场工程支持的人员; 3）维护美国航天局全球全球定位系统网络（GGN），该网络为国际地球自转和参考系统服务（IERS）提供国际地球参考框架（ITRF）解决方案所需的关键数据; 4）开发和维护全球定位系统数据档案; 5）规划和协调各种大地测量社群活动（例如，这些活动包括：（1）举办科学讲习班、指导委员会会议;（2）开发和评估新的商用全球定位系统技术;（3）代表美国学术研究界使用精密大地测量技术，确保管理过程具有代表性和响应性;（4）向学生和公众提供关于精密大地测量研究应用、地球科学和联合国志愿人员组织的教育和宣传。 资金为超过25名全职科学家，工程师和相关业务支持人员提供工资支持。 全球定位系统在空间和时间上的密集观测导致了地球科学的根本性新发现，对我们理解地球系统以及地球内部动力学、构造、岩浆、地震和地表过程与全球气候系统之间复杂的相互作用产生了重大影响。 对地球表面的观测具有内在的社会相关性。 该机制为科学和公共政策事业作出了重要贡献，促进在了解和应对地震、火山和沿海边缘灾害以及气候动态对地球冰冻圈和水圈的影响方面取得进展。 设施对科学界和社会的好处超出了美国的边界。 该基金支持国际大地测量研究和向发展中国家转让技术。 该基金的支助已开始在地球科学以外产生影响，包括支助全球定位系统实时动态研究，以确定桥梁等主要灵活土木工程结构的动态特征。 设施教育和推广计划刺激技术培训，增加学生参与地球科学的多样性，提高美国在全球技术经济中的竞争力。 ***

0735156MeertensFunding through this Cooperative Agreement will support the continued management and operation of the UNAVCO Global Positioning System (GPS) and geodetic technology support facility over a five year period. The UNAVCO Facility is managed by UNAVCO, Inc. (hereafter referred to as UNAVCO), a non-profit corporation governed by a Board of Directors elected by the UNAVCO membership comprised predominantly of U.S. academic institutions with active research programs in geodesy. There are currently over 100 member institutions. The UNAVCO mission is to advance high precision techniques for the measurement of crustal deformation. The Facility is supported by NSF Division of Earth Sciences, Office of Polar Programs and NASA (through annual agency transfers) for responsibilities including: 1) maintenance of a pool of state-of-the-art GPS equipment available to NSF-supported scientists; 2) provision of personnel dedicated to NSF and NASA funded GPS and geodetic technologies project planning, logistics and field engineering support; 3) maintenance of the NASA Global GPS Network (GGN) that provides crucial data to the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) needed for International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) solutions; 4) development and maintenance of a GPS data archive; 5) planning and coordination of various geodetic community activities (e.g., scientific workshops, steering committee meetings); 6) development and evaluation of new commercial GPS technology; 7) ensuring a representative and responsive governance process on behalf of the U.S. academic research community using precision geodetic techniques; and 8) provision of education and outreach to students and the public about precision geodetic research applications, the Earth sciences, and UNAVCO. Funding provides salary support for a staff of over 25 full time scientists, engineers and associated business support staff. Dense GPS observations in space and time have resulted in fundamental new discoveries in the Earth sciences that have had a significant impact on our understanding of the Earth system and the complex interplays between the Earth's interior dynamics, tectonic, magmatic, seismic and surface processes, and the global climate system. Observations of the surface Earth are inherently societally relevant. The UNAVCO Facility makes key contributions to the science and public policy enterprise through facilitating advances in understanding and responding to seismic, volcanic and coastal margin hazards and the effects of climate dynamics on the Earth's cryosphere and hydrosphere. Facility benefits to the science community and society extend beyond U.S. borders. The Facility supports international research in geodesy and technology transfer to developing countries. UNAVCO Facility support is beginning to make an impact outside of the Earth sciences, including support for real-time kinematic GPS studies to characterize the dynamics of major flexible civil engineering structures such as bridges. Facility education and outreach programs stimulate technological training and increased diversity in student participation in the geosciences that enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global technology economy. ***