The topic of the summer school was “Modern Techniques for Gravity Field Restoration” and offered participants a very diverse program.
The extensive lectures provided theoretical basics on relativistic geodesy, terrestrial gravimetry and gravity field recovery from the earth and space. They also serve as an introduction to various key topics of the TerraQ research program. Researchers from the Collaborative Research Center spoke, for example, about interferometry from the GRACE-FO program, atomic clocks and research with Bose-Einstein condensates. In addition, practical exercises for determining the gravity field, working with gravimeters, satellite data processing and calculating heights were also on the agenda.
Laboratory tours complemented the program. The visit to the Hannover Institute of Technology (HITec) provided insights into one of the most modern research buildings at Leibniz University with the two large-scale facilities, the Very Large Baseline Atom Interferometer (VLBAI) and the Einstein Elevator.
And the social aspect wasn't neglected either. A joint tour through the Nordstadt, the student district of Hanover, as well as a shared dinner, were a welcomed change from the scientific focus of the summer school and offered opportunities for exchange and networking.
Finally, the final day was dedicated to possible applications and future research missions. Invited scientists reported in three keynote speeches on how climate tipping points are determined in Earth observation and how satellite missions can be used to monitor global water cycles and determine climate impacts. The talks are documented in video recordings here.
We appreciate the positive feedback from the participants which encourages us to offer a TerraQ Summer School again in 2024.
