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| | Satellite Geodesy, IGPP, SIO, UCSD | Background - What is satellite geodesy? |
 | | Geodesy is the field of science that is involved in the measurement of the size and shape of the earth as well as its gravity field. |
 | | Modern geodetic tools such as the global positioning system (GPS), radar altimetry, laser altimetry, synthetic aperture radar, and satellite-to-satellite tracking are accurate enough to monitor time variations in the earth related to plate tectonics, post-glacial, ocean circulation and atmospheric circulation. |
 | | Modern geodesy attempts to solve geophysical problems by assimilating observable phenonema (such as variations in the Earth's rotation, gravity, geocenter, and surface deformations) into models. |
| topex.ucsd.edu /WWW_html/bkgrd.html (172 words) |
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