ITRS Combination Center at DGFI-TUM

The Deutsches Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut of the Technical University of Munich (DGFI-TUM) is one of the three ITRS Combination Centers of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS). In this function, DGFI-TUM has been responsible since 2001 for the calculation of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), which is the realization of the fundamental Earth-fixed coordinate system ITRS (International Terrestrial Reference System). The activities of the ITRS CC at DGFI-TUM are embedded in the scientific work of DGFI-TUM's Research Area Reference Systems.

DGFI-TUM's latest ITRS realization is the DTRF2020, released in 2023.

ITRS and its realization

The ITRF realizes the ITRS in the form of three-dimensional coordinates of globally distributed geodetic observing stations and their changes over time. The availability of a highly accurate, long-term stable and timely ITRF is the prerequisite for numerous socially and economically relevant applications in daily life, including navigation and positioning, the realization of height systems and precise time systems, or the calculation of spacecraft and satellite orbits. In addition, the ITRF forms the backbone of Earth system research by providing the metrological basis and uniform reference for monitoring geodynamics and processes related to global change, such as ice melt or sea level change. To ensure coordinates with the highest possible accuracy and stability, recalculations of the ITRF must be performed every few years with the latest data and state of the art science.

Since 2001 DGFI-TUM participates in this international effort and calculates and publishes own ITRS realizations under the acronym DTRF. The latest DTRF solutions since the year 2008 are provided on these pages.