1997 Articles

Kinematic Positioning with DGPS: Expanding Frontiers in Aerogeophysics

Bell, Robin E.

Airborne geophysics has long been used for regional studies of remote and inaccessible areas. Recent developments in precise positioning of aircraft with the Global Positioning System (GPS) have greatly expanded the range of previously intractable science problems which now can be addressed with airborne techniques (i.e. Brozena et al, 1992). Differential GPS techniques for modern aerogeophysical studies include both realtime navigation of the aircraft and post-mission recovery of the precise positions for data reduction. Major science problems which have been addressed recently with aerogeophysics include deciphering the dynamics of the world's major ice sheets, imaging surface displacements due to earthquakes and decoding the structure of the continental lithosphere. Airborne studies often recover higher resolution data than can be retrieved with satellite technology. Subsequently the aircraft based approach fills a unique niche where land and ship based operations are expensive, difficult or even impossible.