Place and date: UNESCO, 1 Rue Miollis, Paris, France, Wednesday 15^th October 2003

Halfdan Kierulf (ESEAS-RI P1, NMA, Norway)

Hans-Peter Plag (ESEAS-RI P1, NMA, Norway)

Simon Williams (ESEAS-RI P3, NERC-POL, UK)

Trevor Baker (ESEAS-RI P3, NERC-POL, UK)

Richard Bingley (ESEAS-RI P4, UNOTT, UK)

Jose Martin Davila (ESEAS-RI P7, ROA, Spain)

Jorge Garate (ESEAS-RI P7, ROA, Spain)

? (ESEAS-RI P7, ROA, Spain)

Emin Ayhan (ESEAS-RI P9, GCM, Turkey)

Juan Jose Martinez-Benjamin (ESEAS-RI P16, UPC, Spain)

Ryszard Zdunek (ESEAS-RI P20, SRC, Poland)

1. Welcome and introduction, Richard Bingley (P4, UNOTT, UK)
2. Review of Action Items from the First Meeting, Richard Bingley (P4, UNOTT, UK)
3. Status and plans for tasks T2.1 and T2.3: ESEAS-RI CGPS data processing, Halfdan Kierulf (P1, NMA, Norway)

1. Brief presentations from each of the analysis centres on the 3-month sample GPS data processing

• P1, NMA, Norway (Halfdan Kierulf)
• P4, UNOTT, UK (Richard Bingley)
• P7, ROA, Spain (Jorge Garate)
• P9, GCM, Turkey (Emin Ayhan)
• P16, UPC, Spain (Juan Jose Martinez-Benjamin)
• P20, SRC, Poland (Ryszard Zdunek)

1. Discussion on what to do next.

1. Status and plans for task 2.4: Assemble information on physical parameters that may affect CGPS coordinate time series, Hans-Peter Plag (P1, NMA, Norway)
2. Status and plans for tasks T2.2 and T2.5: ESEAS-RI CGPS coordinate time series analysis, Simon Williams (P3, NERC-POL, UK)
3. Status and plans for task T2.6: Carry out absolute gravity measurements at selected ESEAS Observing Sites, Simon Williams (P3, NERC-POL, UK)
4. Status and plans for task T2.7: Assemble information on (historical and current) precise levelling at all ESEAS Observing Sites that are co-located with CGPS@TG stations, Coskun Demir (P9, GCM, Turkey)
5. Preparation of contributions to the ESEAS-RI PT meeting and the ESEAS-RI annual report.
6. Agreement on work programme and activities of all partners for next 6 months.
7. Any other business.

Richard Bingley opened the meeting. The agenda was adopted without changes and it was agreed that all of the presentations made at the meeting would be made available as pdf file attachments to the minutes.

Richard Bingley presented three documents that were prepared for the Project team meeting in May 2003, following the First Meeting of ESEAS-RI WP2/WG2 in February 2003. The three documents were

- Review of Man-Months after the First Meeting of ESEAS-RI Work Package 2 (WP2) and ESEAS Working Group 2 (WG2), dated 19 May 2003 (see pdf file).

- Review of the Description of Work after the First Meeting of ESEAS-RI Work Package 2 (WP2) and ESEAS Working Group 2 (WG2), dated 19 May 2003 (see pdf file).

- Progress on Action Items from the First Meeting of ESEAS-RI Work Package 2 (WP2) and ESEAS Working Group 2 (WG2), dated 19 May 2003 (see pdf file).

Each Action item from the First Meeting was discussed and the status was updated to produce a new "Progress on Action Items" document , dated 15 October 2003 (see pdf file).

Under this part of the agenda, a discussion was started on the need for clearer guidelines regarding the installation of new CGPS stations at tide gauges. It was agreed that any new installations should follow the guidelines defined by EOSS and ESEAS. However, if the situation was not clear for a specific site, it was agreed that the partner involved should prepare a brief report on the options available at the site and ask for advice from WP2/WG2 and WP4/WG4.

An overview of tasks T2.1 and T2.3 was given by the task leader, Halfdan Kierulf (see pdf file).

In terms of task T2.1 it was agreed that a final version of the strategy document should be prepared before the Project Team meeting on 5/6 November 2003.

For task T2.3, it was noted that a sample data set had been compiled in the ESEAS CGPS data archive, which included data from 9 UK CGPS@TG stations and 3 Norwegian CGPS@TG stations for the 3 month period from January to March 2003 (the archive also includes the data from the new CGPS@TG station WLAD from April 2003 onwards).

Following e-mails from Hand-Peter Plag and Halfdan Kierulf, the analysis centres involved in task T2.3 were asked to process the sample data set using their strategies proposed under task T2.1. Each of the analysis centres gave a brief presentation on their results from the processing of the sample data set, as follows:

- Halfdan Kierulf gave a presentation on behalf of NMA, Norway, on the processing of the 12 CGPS@TG stations in the sample data set (see pdf file).

- Richard Bingley gave a presentation on behalf of UNOTT, UK, on the processing of the 12 CGPS@TG stations in the sample data set along with 11 European IGS stations (see pdf file).

- Jorge Garate gave a presentation on behalf of ROA, Spain, on the processing of four Spanish/Portuguese CGPS@TG stations (see pdf file).

- Emin Ayhan gave a presentation on behalf of GCM, Turkey, on the processing of the 12 CGPS@TG stations in the sample data set along with 10 European IGS stations and a combination involving SOPAC h-files for 25/40 global stations (see pdf file).

- Juan Jose Martinez-Benjamin commented that UPC, Spain, had not carried out any processing of the sample data set as they had only just purchased and undergone training on the use of the Bernese software.

- Ryszard Zdunek gave a presentation on behalf of SRC, Poland, on the processing of the 12 CGPS@TG stations in the sample data set along with 53 European IGS/EPN stations (see pdf file).

Clearly, there was some variation in the levels of processing that had been carried out by the various analysis centres. However, most analysis centres were able to summarise the quality of their results in terms of the (W)RMS deviation from the (weighted) mean coordinates for the 3-month period. From these analyses potential problems were highlighted when using PPP for the CGPS@TG stations at NSTG, SHEE and ANDE.

A discussion then took place on the number of CGPS@TG stations that would be likely to be included in the ESEAS CGPS data archive for the operational phase of the processing. Richard Bingley reported that, through task 1.1 of WP1/WG1, 24 CGPS@TG stations had been identified, if CGPS@TG stations that were already operational and contributing data to the IGS or EPN were considered. It was also noted that this was likely to grow up to about 40 CGPS@TG stations when the new equipment purchased through the ESEAS-RI project was installed and operational.

For the operational phase, Hans-Peter Plag suggested that the operators of ESEAS Observing Sites where CGPS@TG stations were already contributing data to IGS or EPN would be subject to a formal request from ESEAS, and that they would have to decide whether they would arrange for data to be delivered directly to the ESEAS CGPS data archive or whether they would rather authorise ESEAS to retrieve the data from an IGS or EPN data centre.

For the test phase, it was agreed that all of the analysis centres would process an extended sample data set, including the 24 CGPS@TG stations identified through task 1.1 of WP1/WG1 (along with any EPN or IGS stations required when using DD). To facilitate this, it was agreed that Richard Bingley would provide Halfdan Kierulf with a list of the 24 CGPS@TG stations prepared under task 1.1 of WP1/WG1 and that Halfdan Kierfulf would retrieve the data for the additional 12 CGPS@TG stations from an IGS or EPN data centre and make this available to the analysis centres through the ESEAS CGPS data archive.

For the processing of the extended sample data set it was agreed that the analysis centres would deliver SINEX files for all CGPS@TG stations for 2 specific days, solution time series files (in a draft format for the test phase) for 3 specific stations for all 90 days and a summary of their results (in terms of RMS values) for all stations for all 90 days. Furthermore, it was also agreed that NMA, Norway, would compare the SINEX and solution time series files from the different analysis centres and report back to the task team.

Hans-Peter Plag briefly reported on task T2.4 and stated that the atmospheric pressure loading time series going back to the year 2000 for all CGPS@TG stations at ESEAS Observing Sites would be available by the end of the year. Hans-Peter Plag also reported that the IERS SBL would then be in a position to provide daily updates to the atmospheric pressure loading time series with a 10 day delay.

Simon Williams briefly reported on tasks T2.2 and T2.5. In terms of task T2.2 it was agreed that a final version of the strategy document should be prepared before the Project Team meeting on 5/6 November 2003.

For task 2.6, Trevor Baker reported on progress in assembling the database of absolute gravity measurements that have been made in Europe. He commented that he had received positive responses from groups in France, Finland and Germany relating to about 20 to 30 absg stations in Europe and that all of the groups were willing to provide their results to ESEAS.

An overview of task T2.7 was given by the task leader, Emin Ayhan (see pdf file). He outlined that the aim of task T2.7 was to assemble information on any precise levelling that has been carried out within a few kilometres of the tide gauge at an ESEAS Observing Site and to analyse any local deformations using a software package developed at GCM, Turkey.

It was noted that, although some levelling related information was being assembled as part of task 1.1 of WP1/WG1, the focus there was on the identification of the various geodetic markers at an ESEAS Observing Site (ie PTGBM, other benchmarks, GPS stations, absg stations), the availability of any historic levelling connections and the plans for future levelling surveys.

It was agreed that the information from task 1.1 of WP1/WG1 should form the basis of a specific request from task T2.7 of WP2/WG2 for the height difference values based on any precise levelling that has been carried out between the Primary tide gauge benchmark (PTGBM) and the other geodetic markers within a few kilometres of the tide gauge.

The short deadlines set for most of the action items given so far were agreed to enable Richard Bingley to write the sections on WP2 that will be included in the technical and management parts of the draft ESEAS-RI annual report for the ESEAS-RI Project Team meeting scheduled for 5/6 November 2003.

Where possible, it was agreed that the task leaders would present on their separate tasks. However, after considering who would be present in Ljubljana it was agreed that the following persons would make presentations in the following order:

- Richard Bingley to give an overview of WP2.

- Halfdan Kierulf to present on tasks T2.1 and T2.3.

- Richard Bingley to present on tasks T2.2 and T2.5, on behalf of Simon Williams and Norman Teferle.

- Hans-Peter Plag to present on task T2.4.

- Richard Bingley to present on task T2.6, on behalf of Simon Williams.

- Hasan Yildiz to present on task T2.7, on behalf of Coskun Demir.

- Richard Bingley to present on task T2.8.

It was agreed that the work programme and activities of all partners for the next 6 months should follow the list of action items prepared at the meeting, as follows:

It was noted that the next phase of work for task T2.3 would be dependent on the outcome of the processing of the extended sample data set, and that the next phase of work for task T2.5 would be dependent on the emerging results from task T2.3. However, it was agreed that the analysis centres in task T2.3 should aim to carry out a substantial amount of processing over the next 6 months, for all CGPS@TG stations at ESEAS Observing Sites.

In principle, it was agreed that a meeting should be held in Spring 2004 to review progress on each work package and to discuss the emerging results from the GPS analyses.

No date was fixed for the meeting. Instead, it was suggested that the meeting should coincide with meetings for the other work packages and that dates and venues for such meetings would be discussed at the meeting of the ESEAS-RI Project Team scheduled for 5/6 November 2003.