DEPARTMENT 1 : Reference systems and Geodynamics

Section 1 : Time, Earth rotation and Space geodesy

Project 5. Geodesy and Geophysics of Terrestrial Planets

Besides studies of our own planet Earth, scientists at the Royal Observatory of Belgium also investigate the deep interior structure and composition of other Earth-like planets and large moons of the Solar System. Their research bears upon the study of the gravity field, the rotation and orientation variations (polar motion, precession, nutations, and librations), and the tides of these terrestrial objects, which are main research topics of geodesy. The geodetic data are mainly obtained from spacecrafts in orbit around these planets and moons. The scientists construct detailed mineralogical models for the interior of the planets and study the dynamical response of these models to both internal and external forcing.

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Staff

Head of project: Van Hoolst    Tim
Dehant    Veronique


Scientific staff:
Beuthe    Michael
Mitrovic    Michel
Karatekin    Ozgur
Le Maistre    Sebastien
Rivoldini    Attilio
Rosenblatt    Pascal
Yseboodt    Marie


Support staff:
Van Camp    Lydia