What is the “Potsdam Gravity Potato”? What is a reference frame and why is it necessary to know in which reference frame GNSS velocities are provided? Geodetic data, like GNSS data or gravity data, are used in many geoscientific disciplines, such as hydrology, glaciology, geodynamics, oceanography and seismology. This course aims to give an introduction into geodetic datasets and presents what is necessary to consider when using such data. This 90-minute short course is part of the quartet of introductory 101 courses on Geodynamics 101, Geology 101 and Seismology 101.

The short course Geodesy 101 will introduce basic geodetic concepts within the areas of GNSS, gravity data analysis and coordinate transformations. In addition, we will talk about glacial isostatic adjustment, a process that is observed by several various geodetic data. We will also show short examples of data handling and processing using open-source software tools. Participants are not required to bring a laptop or have any previous knowledge of geodetic data analysis.

Our aim is to give you more background information on what geodetic data can tell us and what not. You won’t be a Geodesist by the end of the short course, but we hope that you are able to have gained more knowledge about the limitations as well as advantages of geodetic data. The course is run by scientists from the Geodesy division, and is aimed for all attendees (ECS and non-ECS) from all divisions who are using geodetic data frequently or are just interested to know what geodesists work on on a daily basis. We hope to have a lively discussion during the short course and we are also looking forward to feedback by non-geodesists on what they need to know when they use geodetic data.