| Session Details | |
| Section | SE - Solid Earth Sciences |
| Session Title | Earth Rotation and Reference Frame |
| Main Convener | Dr. Jianli Chen (University of Texas at Austin, United States) |
| Co-convener(s) | Dr. Richard Gross (NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United States) Dr. Olivier De Viron (La Rochelle University, France) Dr. Haoming Yan (Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) |
| Session Description | Earth rotation is driven by mass transport and redistribution within the Earth geophysical fluids system, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, ocean, cryosphere, mantle and core. Although relatively small, the Earth rotational changes, represented by polar motion and length-of-day variation have been measured by space geodetic techniques with increasing, unprecedented accuracy, opening up important new avenues of research that will lead to a better understanding of global mass transport processes and of the Earth’s dynamic response. For the quantification of many geophysical phenomena, e.g. sea level change, polar ice sheets mass balance, glacial isostatic adjustment and plate tectonics, a global reference frame, such as the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), is needed. This session solicits contributions ranging from geophysical interpretations of observed Earth rotational change using advance numerical models estimates, in situ measurements, and satellite altimetry and gravimetry measurements, theoretical formulation and determination of reference frames (and geocenter motion), to geophysical applications of Earth rotation and reference frame in improving the understanding of the Earth geodynamic change and global mass transport and redistribution. |