Marine ecosystems and global change

Marine technologies

Marine environment protection

Sustainable exploitation of living marine resources

Ocean and society

Geodesy and geophysics

This research line focuses on the study of terrestrial phenomena using geodetic and geophysical methods and techniques. The main areas of work for this research line include:

• Determining terrestrial representation models (both classical and spatial).
• Designing, developing, and controlling the operational and geodetic quality of permanent GNSS networks.
• Applying GNSS systems to geodynamic studies (modeling, monitoring, and surveillance of tectonic and volcanic processes).
• High-precision processing of GNSS geodetic observations and the study and analysis of geodetic and geophysical time series, applying Functional Data Analysis techniques.
• Modeling stress and deformation in lithospheric processes.
• Designing and implementing Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Cartographic and geomatics research in geodynamically active areas.

Most of the research conducted has concentrated on Antarctica, the southern region of the Iberian Peninsula, and North Africa. However, studies monitoring tectonic and volcanic activity are also carried out in the Canary Islands archipelago and Central America.

Researchers from the Royal Naval Observatory (ROA) actively participate in this line, with their main work areas directly linked to marine geophysics. Additionally, collaboration with the Spanish Army Geographic Center has led to the production of Antarctic cartography, and the SIMAC (Multidisciplinary Scientific Support Information Systems), and SIGUCA (UCA Geographic Information System) have been designed and developed.

It’s worth highlighting the extensive experience in the field of GNSS systems. Since 1990, GNSS geodetic networks have been established for both geodynamic research purposes and to create geodetic reference frames. Some examples of established and operational networks, depending on their purpose, include: RGAE (Spanish Antarctic Geodetic Network), REGID (Deception Island Geodetic Network), and RENID (Deception Island Leveling Network) in Antarctica; RAP (Andalusian Positioning Network); TEGETEIDE and TEGETEIDE-NIVEL (Tenerife Island); CONCEPTEPE (Concepción-Ometepe Geodynamic Network) in Nicaragua; and RGPOPO in Mexico.

INMAR researchers associated with this line