-----Original Message-----
From: Dr David Baker [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 16 September 2004 15:45
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc: Dr David Baker
Subject: Extended NERC funding for the British Isles GPS archive
Facility
Announcement of extended NERC funding for BIGF, the UK's CGPS data archive
The national importance to science of the British Isles GPS archive
Facility (BIGF), in providing a secure and ongoing archive of continuous
GPS data recorded in mainland Britain, has been recognised and assured by
the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) until at least 2009,
through renewed funding worth over £300,000.
BIGF provides a secure and ongoing archive of the continuous GPS data
recorded in mainland Britain. Data are provided to the archive by a
number of collaborators, including: Defra; the Environment Agency; the Met
Office; the National Physical Laboratory; the NERC Space Geodesy Facility;
the NERC Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory; the Ordnance Survey; the
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and the University of Nottingham.
Data has been archived for some stations from as early as 1996 and, since
2000, the archive has included the data from the Ordnance Survey Active
stations. Added to this is the planned expansion of the archive to
include over 100 stations by the end of 2004.
Through BIGF, data are provided free-of-charge to approved scientific
users. NERC has provided funding for this since 2002, and has now made a
long term commitment to take us to 2009. The data have scientific utility
either by virtue of embedded environmental signatures (some data sets will
reach over a decade in length by 2009) or as reference for the improvement
of historic or contemporary positioning records.
A wide range of science has already made use of the data, from short term
meteorological studies and medium term wildlife tracking, to longer term
research looking at vertical land movements.
Some of the latest research projects to use data from the archive include:
Archaeological site control;
Atmospheric water vapour;
Coastal erosion;
Flood defence and alleviation.
GIS creation;
Ocean tide loading;
Ionospheric scintillation;
SAC (special area of conservation) monitoring;
Sea level and vertical land movement;
Sea state monitoring;
Space weather;
Control for flown airborne remote sensing campaigns;
Vertical land movements and sea level change;
Wildlife tracking - red deer, urban foxes, grey seals ... and many others.
There is a dedicated website http://www.bigf.ac.uk where you will find
everything you need to know about the archive and its services, together
with an online form to order data.
"The archive exists by virtue of a demonstrated need", so please use it,
and please tell your colleagues about it.
With kind regards
Dr David Baker
BIGF Manager
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