astronomy

UNAVCO

UNAVCO is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand UNAVCO rather than just read about it. In short: UNAVCO was a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitated geology research and education using geodesy. Background UNAVCO was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and United States Geological Survey (USGS) to support geology research.

Key takeaways

UNAVCO belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect UNAVCO to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of UNAVCO from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

UNAVCO was a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitated geology research and education using geodesy.

Background UNAVCO was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and United States Geological Survey (USGS) to support geology research. It operated the U.S. National Science Foundation's Geodetic Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience (GAGE Facility). UNAVCO had 120 US academic member organizations and supported over 110 organizations globally as associate members. On January 1, 2023, UNAVCO merged with the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), operator of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Seismological Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience (SAGE Facility), to form EarthScope Consortium.

Tools and services

Data The UNAVCO GAGE Facility, as a World Data Center, provided access to scientific data for quantifying the motions of rock, ice, and water at or near the Earth's surface. Geodetic Imaging Data is collected by various sensors deployed on satellites, aircraft, and on the ground to provide high-resolution terrain models and deformation measurements. Data collected from strain and seismic borehole instruments is used to measure deformation on or near to the surface of the Earth as well as to measure the physical properties of rock within the vicinity of the installations. At many of the geodetic measurement sites, meteorological data are also collected to aid with processing of the geodetic data. UNAVCO archived and distributed data from the EarthScope program Plate Boundary Observatory, which later became part of the Network of the Americas (NOTA).

GPS/GNSS systems The UNAVCO GAGE Facility managed a community pool of high accuracy portable GPS/GNSS receiver systems used for a range of research applications.

Terrestrial laser scanning The GAGE Facility at UNAVCO maintained a pool of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) instruments to support Earth science investigators. TLS technology is based on lidar (Light Detection And Ranging) and is sometimes referred to as ground-based lidar or tripod lidar. It is an active imaging system whereby laser pulses are emitted by the scanner and the time and intensity of the returning pulses, reflected by the surface or object being scanned, are recorded. The round-trip time for pulses enables the taking of millions/billions of points, from which a 3D "point cloud" is generated to accurately map the scanned surface/object. The primary capability of TLS is the generation of high-resolution 3D maps and images of surfaces and objects over scales of meters to kilometers with centimeter to sub-centimeter precision. Repeat TLS measurements allow the imaging and measurement of changes through time and in unprecedented detail, making TLS even more valuable for transformative science investigations. Geology applications include detailed mapping of fault scarps, geologic outcrops, fault-surface roughness, frost polygons, lava lakes, dikes, fissures, glaciers, columnar joints and hillside drainages. Carrying out additional TLS surveys can be useful in the imaging and measurement of surface changes over time due to, for example:

Surface processes Volcanic deformation Ice flow Beach morphology transitions Post-seismic slip The incorporation of GNSS/GPS measurements provides accurate georeferencing of TLS data in an absolute reference frame. The addition of digital photography can be used to create photorealistic 3D images.

Polar services The UNAVCO GAGE Facility provided geodetic support to NSF-OPP (National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs) funded researchers working in the Arctic and Antarctic. Survey-grade GPS receivers, Terrestrial Laser Scanners, and supporting power and communications systems for continuous data collection and campaign surveying could be provided. Operation and maintenance services were also provided for long term data collection, with on-line data distribution from the UNAVCO community archive.

NASA and IGS support The UNAVCO GAGE Facility provided global infrastructure support to NASA/JPL in operating a collection of globally distributed permanent GNSS/GPS stations called the NASA Global GNSS Network (GGN), which forms part of the International GNSS Service (IGS) network.

Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) UNAVCO operated the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), the geodetic component of the EarthScope program funded by the National Science Foundation. The PBO consisted of several major observatory components: a network of 1,100+ permanent, continuously operating Global Positioning System (GPS) stations many of which provided data at high-rate and in real-time, 78 borehole seismometers, 74 borehole strainmeters, 28 shallow borehole tilt meters, and six long baseline laser strain meters.

Continuously Operating Caribbean GPS Observational Network (COCONet) UNAVCO operated the Continuously Operating Caribbean GNSS/GPS Observational Network (COCONet), which consisted of 50 planned continuously operating GPS/weather stations integrated with 65 existing GPS stations operated by partner organizations. COCONet provides open-format GPS and meteorological data for these stations for use by scientists, government agencies, educators, students, and the private sector.

Organization UNAVCO was organized into three programs. The three programs focused on:

Data collection, including installation and maintenance of large-scale geodetic instrument networks (Geodetic Infrastructure) Network data operations, community data products, and cyber infrastructure (Geodetic Data Services) Education and outreach strategies (Education and Community Engagement)

Geodetic Infrastructure The Geodetic Infrastructure (GI) program integrated all geodetic infrastructure and data acquisition capabilities for continuously operating observational networks and shorter-term deployments. Supported activities included development and testing, advanced systems engineering, the construction, operation, and maintenance of permanent geodetic instrument networks around the globe. Major projects supported by the GI program included the 1,112 station Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), Polar networks in Greenland and Antarctica (GNET and ANET, together known as POLENET), COCONet spanning the Caribbean plate boundary, the multi-disciplinary AfricaArray, and several other smaller continuously observing geodetic networks.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with UNAVCO

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what UNAVCO claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to UNAVCO before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about UNAVCO ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of UNAVCO

In research: UNAVCO appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses UNAVCO in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: UNAVCO is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics College and university associations and consortia in the United States, Geodesy organizations, Independent research institutes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for UNAVCO outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study UNAVCO in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what UNAVCO means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain UNAVCO out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is UNAVCO in simple terms?

UNAVCO was a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitated geology research and education using geodesy. Background UNAVCO was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and United States Geological Survey (USGS) to support ge…

Why does UNAVCO matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study UNAVCO?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on UNAVCO.