00453 - GEODESIA

Learning outcomes

The course provides the students with a modern understanding of fundamental principles and tasks of geodesy and highlights how this discipline supports the study of geophysical phenomena. Geodesy aims to characterize three fundamental properties of the Earth: geometric shape, gravitational potential and orientation in space. Modern geodesy is actually a proper science which not only provides measurements of these key parameters, but also develops the relevant modeling on the basis of mass transport and Earth dynamics. Geodesy provides the conceptual and observational foundation for the realization of the reference systems which allow monitoring the Earth at different spatial and temporal scales.

The proposed topics are presented in frontal lectures which address the relevant theoretical background, the state of the art of the research and the most challenging future perspectives. The course also shows how geodetic information provide critical support for the progress of different Earth system sciences and the importance of an integrated approach to the study of geophysical phenomena.

Frontal lectures are complemented by technical exercises during which the student is asked to develop simple codes aimed at improving his/her understanding of the course content.

Course contents

- Introduction to geodesy, definitions and tasks;

- Recent developments and applications of satellite geodesy to the study of the Earth system;

- Representation of the surface of the Earth: the physical and mathematical figures of the Earth;

- Reference systems and frames at different spatial scales (local, global, celestial);

- Description of the Earth motion in space

- Fundamentals of celestial mechanics: from Keplerian motion to the perturbed motion of an artificial satellite;

- Orbital perturbations produced by gravitational and non-gravitational (e.g. atmospheric drag, solar radiation pressure) forces.

Readings/Bibliography

1) Guenter Seeber, Satellite Geodesy, de Gruyter;
2) Wolfang Torge, Geodesy, de Gruyter;

3) Gerhard Beutler et al. (Edts.), Earth gravity field from space - from sensors to Earth sciences, Kluver Academic Publishers;

4) Hans-Peter Plag and Michael Pearlman (Edts.), Global Geodetic Observing System, Springer.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures and technical exercises

Assessment methods

Oral exam

Office hours

See the website of Sara Bruni