The European Reference System coming of age

Abstract

More than ten years ago, the advantages of the GPS technology were recognized and a first GPS campaign covering the western part of Europe was organized in order to establish a uniform European Reference Frame (EUREF). Through successive GPS campaigns, the network has been extended towards eastern parts of Europe and various countries have undertaken densification campaigns. The international co-operation within Europe has resulted in the establishment of a high accuracy, threedimensional geodetic network with links to global and national reference systems.

Strategies and guidelines have been developed for network densification, observation procedures, data flow and data analysis. This has resulted in today’s permanent GPS network comprising in excess of more than 80 stations, a data handling service and supported by 12 analysis centers. The results show an accurate and consistent network (+/-3mm in the horizontal component, +/-6mm in the height component).

Since 1995, emphasis has been placed on the height component, resulting in an extended and improved adjustment of the United European Leveling Network (UELN) and the establishment of the European Vertical GPS Reference Network (EiJVN). Today, the EUREF Network contributes towards multi-disciplinary activities such as the estimation of meteorological parameters and links to tide gauges.