A New Combined European Permanent Network Station Coordinates Solution

TL;DR

This paper presents a new homogeneous, weekly combined solution for EPN station coordinates, enhancing reference frame stability and providing an independent dataset for geodynamical research in Europe.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel method for weekly combination of EPN station solutions, removing constraints, aligning to ITRF2000, and combining via Helmert transformation, resulting in an independent, stable coordinate time-series.

Findings

The new solution shows good stability over time.

Small systematic effects are observed, likely due to station instabilities.

Comparison indicates the new solution's consistency with official EUREF results.

Abstract

The EUREF (International Association of Geodesy (IAG) Reference Frame Sub-Commission for Europe) network of continuously operating GPS stations (EPN) was primarily established for reference frame maintenance, and also plays an important role for geodynamical research in Europe. The main goal of this paper is to obtain an independent homogeneous time-series of the EPN station coordinates, which is also available in SINEX format. A new combined solution of the EPN station coordinates was computed. The combination was performed independently for every week, in three steps: 1. the stated constraints on the coordinates were removed from the individual solutions of the Analysis Centers; 2. the de-constrained solutions were aligned to ITRF2000; 3. the resulting solutions were combined using the Helmert block-ing technique. All the data from GPS week 900 to week 1302 (April 1997 - December 2004) were used. We investigated in detail the behavior of the transformation parameters aligning the new combined solution to ITRF2000. In general, the time-series of the transformation parameters show a good stability in time although small systematic effects can be seen, most likely caused by station instabilities. A comparison of the new combined solution to the official EUREF weekly combined solution is also presented.