Project Title

UNAVCO high-precision GPS and ground-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) support

Summary

Event Number:
T-295-M
NSF / EAR Award 1724794

Program Director:
Dr. Michael Jackson

ASC POC/Implementer:
John Rand / Jenny Cunningham

Principal Investigator(s)

Mr. Joseph R Pettit
joe.pettit@earthscope.org
EarthScope Consortium

Project Web Site:
https://www.earthscope.org/

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station
Research Locations: Continent-wide, McMurdo-based

Description

Earthscope GAGE (formerly UNAVCO) provides geodetic observations support and equipment. Survey-grade GPS, terrestrial laser scanners, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), and power and communications systems for high-precision campaign surveying and continuous data collection are available. GAGE operates a network of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations on Ross Island and in the Dry Valleys. Support infrastructure includes a real-time kinematic differential GPS broadcasting station covering McMurdo Sound, a Mount Erebus repeater for GPS data retrieval from the Transantarctic Mountains, and an Iridium satellite hub in Colorado. Support is also provided for Palmer Station’s GPS survey system. Operation and maintenance are provided for NASA's GNSS service stations MCM4 and PALM, POLENET (ANET), West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide, South Pole GPS stations, and as-yet-unplanned support, as feasible.

Field Season Overview

Earthscope GAGE field engineers will work out of McMurdo Station for much of this field season, providing technical and field engineering support to various projects, managing the on-Ice geodetic equipment pool, and servicing near field installed instruments as needed. One member of the T-295-M team will be attached to the G-079-E POLENET team this year. This group will be based at the Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) Union Glacier field camp.

Deploying Team Members