In this Session, we will discuss new sensor measurement and mission concepts that apply advanced techniques for the study of the gravitational field of the Earth on ground and in space. Novel developments in quantum physics can excellently be used for geodetic applications, where new technologies and concepts lead to enhanced capabilities for satellite geodesy and terrestrial gravity sensing. Terrestrial gravity anomalies will be determined by observing free-falling atoms (quantum gravimetry) instead of using falling corner cubes. Additionally, changes in the gravity field can also be derived from GNSS displacement which play an increasingly important role due to their cheap and easy deployment and large number of available stations. This will open the door for a vast bundle of applications such as fast local gravimetric surveys and exploration, and the observation of Earth system processes with high spatial and temporal resolution.
Furthermore, highly precise optical clocks connected by dedicated fiber links have reached an accuracy level to measure differences of the gravity potential over long distances (relativistic geodesy), that is interesting for geodesy now. In future, relativistic geodesy might be applied for defining and realizing height systems in a new way, locally as well as globally. Moreover, accurate clocks help to improve the accuracy of the International Atomic Time standard TAI. They are important for all space geodetic techniques as well as for the realization of reference systems and their connections. One example of increasing importance is positioning and navigation with GNSS for terrestrial and space applications.
Finally, laser-interferometric ranging between test masses in space with nanometer accuracy does also belong to those novel developments. GRACE-FO will demonstrate it, and in the future even more refined concepts (tracking a swarm of satellites, space gradiometry) will be realized.
We invite presentations to illustrate the principles and state of the art of those novel techniques and the application of the new methods for terrestrial and satellite geodesy (where local and global mass variations and surface deformations will be observed with unforeseen accuracy and resolution, variations that reflect changes in the Earth system), navigation and fundamental physics. We also welcome papers for further applications and invite contributions covering the theoretical description of the new methods, introducing novel theoretical concepts as well as new modelling schemes.