****************************************************************************** DORISMail 04-Feb-2005 15:39:23 Message No 0369 ****************************************************************************** Author: Jim Ray "(NGS" 301-713-2850 "x112)" Subject: Advisory Board for IERS Conventions updates Author: Jim Ray Dear Colleagues, At its 39th meeting in September, the IERS Directing Board agreed to set up an Advisory Board to assist the Conventions Center with the process of updating the IERS Conventions. This group does not replace the existing Editorial Panel of scientists that prepares new chapters, algorithms, software, etc. Instead, the Advisory Board will consider the needs of IERS users and how they might be best served in future Conventions updates by reviewing pending revisions and proposing new directions. Members of the Advisory Board are representatives of each Technique Center and IERS Product Center, the IERS Analysis Coordinator, and other interested persons proposed by the Technique or Product Centers; I have been named to chair the Board: ICRS -- Anne-Marie Gontier, Dave Boboltz ITRS -- Claude Boucher, Zuheir Altamimi EOP -- Christian Bizouard, Daniel Gambis RS/P -- Bill Wooden GGFC -- Hans-Peter Plag, Richard Ray IDS -- Frank Lemoine IGS -- (to be named) ILRS -- John Ries IVS -- David Gordon, Oleg Titov Conv -- Gerard Petit, Dennis McCarthy AC -- Markus Rothacher, ex officio chair - Jim Ray My thanks to these colleagues for kindly volunteering to serve on this board. In my own view, some likely initial interests of the Advisory Board are: * eliminate ambiguities in which effects to include in the conventional displacements of station positions and provide suitable models for all recognized effects; * provide a model for the oceanic pole tide deformation; * provide a model for diurnal and semidiurnal atmospheric pressure loading; * clarify treatment of geocenter motions and provide a model for the diurnal and semidiurnal effects of ocean tides; * develop an updated model for diurnal and semidiurnal EOP variations; * specify protocols for handling technique-specific effects; * enforce SINEX documentation of models applied in data analyses; * ensure full availability of software routines. It is particularly important to resolve how best to treat atmospheric pressure loading (part of 1st item) in order to avoid difficulties in the rigorous multi-technique combination efforts now underway. Unfortunately, it may not be possible to resolve some the important ambiguities and discrepancies in time to affect ITRF2004. If you have any concerns about the IERS Conventions, please feel free to contact a board member above or myself. At the IERS Conventions discussion forum you will find a number of topics raised that need to be addressed. Please add any others that concern you. Any comments, advice, or suggestions are greatly appreciated. --Jim Please do not reply directly to this message, but send comments and suggestions to IDS.central.bureau@cls.fr