Theoretical geodesy

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Under Theoretical Geodesy (Engl. Theoretical Geodesy ) refers to the mathematical and physical foundations of geodesy . In terms of the word, it corresponds to applied geodesy as its counterpart , but the two terms are not defined uniformly internationally.

In the structure of universities (e.g. department or institute for theoretical geodesy ) the term is used, for example, in Bonn and at TU Graz and Vienna , as well as at universities in Poland, Slovakia and the former Yugoslavia, as well as in some German ones State offices and in Austria's BEV . Other universities call the corresponding institutes Astronomical and Physical or Planetary Geodesy or just Geodesy - in contrast to the technical areas of responsibility of Applied Geodesy or Surveying or the cadastre .

Technical content

The Theoretical Geodesy can be used as part of the Higher Geodesy be construed and includes the methodology of the sub-areas

In the English-speaking world, all of the above-mentioned sub-areas are assigned to " geodesy " (= higher geodesy), while "applied geodesy" corresponds to "surveying" (see also survey ).

Different assignment

For some years now, geodesists have increasingly tended to classify their subject area not according to the aspects of “ theory and practice ”, but rather according to task areas. It is only undisputed that the Higher Geodesy provides the basis for this. Here are some statements from well-known university lecturers and the approach of some geodetic organizations:

  • K. Bretterbauer (Vienna 1998) calls higher or theoretical geodesy the link between astronomy and geophysics , while W. Torge (Hannover 2001) places it between global and geodetic survey , but does not identify it as a separate subject.
  • The former IUGG President H. Moritz (1999), who chooses Theoretical Geodesy as the subtitle of a textbook on earth measurements , is quite different (Ref. 2). It presents classical geometric content "in a new light", as well as gravity fields and equilibrium figures .
  • At Moritz's suggestion, the IAG (Geodetic Union) has been organizing its own summer schools (International Summer School of Theoretical Geodesy) since around 1985 , but gives them a special focus - e.g. B. "Satellite Altimetry" (Trieste 1992), "Boundary value problems and ... cm geoid " (Como 1996), "Mobile Mapping" (Rottenmann 2000) or "Micro gravimetry" (2005)
  • The well-known DGK series of publications continues to divide its 450 research reports into Theoretical Geodesy (A) and Applied Geodesy  (B); but not the more than 500 dissertations (C), in order to avoid overlapping.
  • The cartography lexicon (Bollmann / Koch 2002) leads the Th.G. back to the basics of metrology , Euclidean geometry , classical and relativistic mechanics , as well as astronomy and mathematical geography .

Literature and web links

  1. Kurt Bretterbauer , Harald Schuh : Higher Geodesy . Script for the lecture of the same name, approx. 200 pages, Vienna University of Technology 1998 and 2003
  2. Helmut Moritz : The Figure of the Earth. Theoretical Geodesy and the Earth's Interior. Wichmann, 1999
  3. Wolfgang Torge : Geodesy (1975) and Geodesy (2001), de Gruyter, Berlin
  4. Jürgen Bollmann, Wolf Günther Koch: Lexicon of cartography and geomatics . Spectrum, Heidelberg / Berlin 2002
  5. Institute for Theoretical Geodesy, University of Bonn
  6. Publications of the DGK , Munich: Theoretical and Applied Geodesy
  7. Academic Sites for Geodesy, Surveying & Geomatics (English / German links)