Geodynamics and Earth Observation

Working Group of Geodynamics and Earth Observation (WGGEO) – General

This Working Group studies the deformation and gravity changes of the solid Earth with a broad range of technologies, including classical positional geodesy, precise levelling, satellite positioning, ground and space-gravimetry, sea level monitoring by tide gauges and satellite altimetry. Often various technologies are co-located or used together for scientific synergy.

The phenomena studied include glacial isostatic adjustment (“postglacial crustal rebound”, “land uplift”), plate tectonics, deformations due to tidal, ocean, atmospheric, ice sheet/glacier and hydrological loading, and local tectonic and man-made deformations.

Chair of the Working Group: Holger Steffen, Lantmäteriet, Sweden, holger.steffen@lm.se

The keywords of WGGEO are:

  • Absolut gravimetry/relative gravity/superconducting gravimetry/satellite gravimetry
  • Temporal variation in gravity
  • Crustal deformation, tectonic processes, surface loading
  • Glacial isostatic adjustment (land uplift, postglacial rebound, corresponding sea-level change, glacially triggered faulting)
  • InSAR: application, active transponder/corner reflector networks
  • Environmental effects in geodetic observations, e.g. gravimetry, GNSS
  • Models of land uplift, glacial isostatic adjustment, 3D velocity field and strain rates

See our meeting minutes for an overview of our projects and activities.

Please contact the Chair if you would like to join the working group. You can also join the WGGEO’s mailing list here.

Brief history

The Working Group was founded in 1975 based on a decision at the 7th General Assembly in Copenhagen in 1974. The group gathered usually once a year for discussion of ongoing projects and activities, to share experiences and for planning of new projects. Most participants came from the NKG countries, but the group used to have guests since the early 1980s, mainly from Germany but also from Belgium (in the early 2000s), Poland (in more recent years) and the UK (very recently). Since 2020, the meetings are held in hybrid form.

Previous WG chairs were:

1975 Tauno Honkasalo

1976-1982 Lennart Pettersson

1983-1986 Aimo Kiviniemi

1987-1994 Jussi Kääriäinen

1995-1998 Martin Vermeer

1999-2006 Hans-Georg Scherneck

2007-2010 Martin Lidberg

2011-2013 Dagny Lysaker

2014-2018 Matthew J.R. Simpson