www.iugg.org

mission

structure

research programmes

membership

contact information

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) estab-lished in 1919 is the international, non-governmental, scientific organisation dedicated to advancing, promoting, and communi-cating knowledge and scientific studies (physical, chemical, and mathematical) of the Earth system, its space environment, and the dynamic processes causing change. These studies include the shape of the Earth, its gravitational and magnetic fields, the dynamics of the Earth as a whole and of its component parts, the Earth’s internal structure, composition and tectonics, the generation of magma, volcanism and rock formation, the hydrological cycle including snow and ice, all aspects of the oceans, the atmosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere and solar-terrestrial relations and analogous prob-lems associated with the Moon and other planets.

IUGG encourages the application of this knowledge to the needs ofsociety. Data, information and knowledge gained are made openly available for the benefit of society – to provide the information nec-essary for the discovery and responsible use of natural resources, sus-tainable management of the environment, reducing the impact of natural hazards, and to satisfy our curiosity about the Earth’s natural environment and the consequences of human activities.

IUGG is comprised of eight semi-autonomous Associations, each responsible for a specific range of topics or themes within the overall scope of Union activities. In addition, IUGG establishes inter-Association Commissions, and relationships with several other scientific bodies with similar interests.

Through its constituent Associations, Commissions and services, IUGG convenes international assemblies and workshops, under-takes research, assembles observations, gains insights, coordinates activities, liaises with other scientific bodies, plays an advocacy role, contributes to education, and works to expand capabilities and participation worldwide.

IUGG holds General Assemblies at four-year intervals and each of itsAssociations organise scientific assemblies as well as topical sympo-sia in the intervening period between General Assemblies. The next IUGG General Assembly will be held in 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

IUGG is committed to the principle of free exchange of data and knowledge among nations, and encourages unreserved scientific participation by all peoples.

The IUGG has initiated and vigorously supported collaborative effortsthat have led to highly productive world-wide interdisciplinary re-search programmes, such as the International Geophysical Year (1957-58), the Upper Mantle Project (1964-70), the Geodynamics Project (1972-79), the Global Atmospheric Research Programme (1967-80), the International Lithosphere Programme (1981- ), the World Climate Research Programme, the Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction,the International Heliophysical Year (2007-2009), and the Electronic Geophysical Year (2007-2008). IUGG is a Founding Partner of the International Year of Planet Earth (2007-2009). These programmes have set a model for international, interdisciplinary cooperation. Representing all geophysical disciplines, IUGG is inherently involved in the projects and programmes related to climate change, globalwarming, and related environmental impacts. One major contribu-tion has been the creation, through the International Council for Science (ICSU), of the World Data Centre system, from which the data gathered during these major programmes are available to re-search workers everywhere.

IUGG cooperates with UNESCO in the study of natural catastrophes,hydrological and oceanographic research. It also gives particular emphasis to the scientific problems of developing countries by sponsoring activities relevant to the scientific needs of the Third World (e.g. Geosciences in Africa, water resources, etc.). The union also co-sponsors the Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Data Analysis Services (FAGS) and is a partner with other unions of ICSU in inter-union commissions.

By their very nature, geodetic and geophysical studies require ahigh degree of international cooperation as well as effective central coordination. The Union is fortunate in having 65 Member Countries. The great majority of those countries participate in the Union through IUGG National Committees set up by the national academies or other bodies that adheres to the Union. The Member Countries are distributed throughout the world as follows: 32 in Europe, 3 in North and Central America, 13 in Asia, 8 in Africa, 6 in South America, and 3 in Oceania.

For more information about IUGG, please contact the Secretariat:

International Union of Geodesy and GeophysicsUniversity of KarlsruheGeophysical InstituteHertzstrasse 16 76187 KarlsruheGermany

Phone: +49 721 6084610Fax: +49 721 71173Email: secretariat@iugg.org

Union Associations

International Association of Cryospheric Sciences

International Association of Geodesy

International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy

International Association of Hydrological Sciences

International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans

International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior

International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior

Union Commissions Commission on Geophysical Risk and Sustainability (Georisk)Commission on Mathematical Geophysics (CMG)Committee on the Study of Earth’s Deep Interior (SEDI)

Seismicity of the Earth, 1964-1995,

magnitudes greater than 5.1

(from Engdahl et al., 1997),

with tectonic plate boundaries superimposed

(courtesy L. Gahagan, University of Texas).

Hypocenter depth intervals, in kilometers,

are 0-70 (red), 70-300 (green), and greater

than 300 (purple). The large circles are major

earthquakes, magnitude greater than 7.4.

The figure prepared by M. Zirbes of USGS.

Courtesy P. Suhadolc (IASPEI).

The Van Allen radiation belts

(courtesy B. Hultqvist, IAGA).

The total area of surface melt on the

Greenland ice sheet broke all known records

for the island in 2005. Analysis of melt

extent on the Greenland ice sheet using

passive microwave satellite data show a very

dramatic increasing melt trend since 1979

which appeared to be interrupted only in

1992 by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo

(courtesy K. Steffen and R. Huff, CIRES,

University of Colorado, Boulder and IACS).

The Sun shows a burst of energy, known as a

coronal mass ejection. The photo was taken

by the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft

(courtesy the NCAR High Altitude Observatory,

Boulder, Colorado).

The surface of Venus

(courtesy ESA).

Water level measurements of a reservoir

constructed to store seasonal rainfall for

domestic use, animal watering and small-

scale irrigation, Zimbabwe

(courtesy P. Hubert, IAHS).

Improvement of the Earth‘s gravity field

models. The models are (from top left to

bottom right)

GRIM-5S1: Best gravity field model before

CHAMP and GRACE computed from SLR data

only;

EIGEN-CHAMP03S: Gravity field from CHAMP;

EIGEN-GRACE03S: Gravity field from GRACE;

EIGEN-CG03C: Gravity field from GRACE

combined with terrestrial data

(courtesy C. Reigber, GFZ-Potsdam, and

M. Sideris, IAG).

The microstructure instrument is ready for

decent from the aft deck of the Swedish

icebreaker Oden during the Beringia 2005

expedition to measure salinity, temperature,

and velocity in the sea water with high

vertical resolution

(photo by G. Björk; courtesy J. Rohde, IAPSO).

After eruption of the Teide volcano, Tenerife,

Canary Islands

(courtesy J. Marti, IAVCEI)

The image of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

painted by Japanese artist, T. Fujita. The

painting is based on the artist’s interviews

with survivors of the tsunami

(courtesy Y. Hayashi, Nagoya University, IASPEI).

ww

w.fa

rada

y-gr

afikd

esig

n.de

International Union of Geodesy and Geophysicsfor the Planet Earth

Tomographic image of aspherical variations

in P-wave seismic velocity in the Earth‘s

mantle below northern Tonga. The complex

morphology of the subducting Tonga slab

is seen

(courtesy R. van der Hilst, IASPEI).

The planet Earth: The reddish landmass

is Africa and Saudi Arabia which is desert.

The white is both clouds and the ice

covering Antarctica

(courtesy NASA/JPL and IAMAS).