Please note that this site is an archive. The most up-to-date material is at: https://www.scar.org/science/gsg/home/ .

1. Place Names

Noting that the SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA):

• has been published in March 1998 by the SCAR Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information (WG-GGI)
• contains names data from twenty SCAR member countries and the International Hydrographic Organisation / International Oceanographic Commission;
• comprises around 33,000 entries for 16,500 features, including around 500 features with two or more entirely different names;

Considering that, in the interests of both scientific clarity and operational safety, the general principle of ‘one name per feature’ should apply for all new feature names;

The Working Group recommends that:

SCAR recommends that National Committees, directly or through their national Antarctic naming authority:

1. refer to the CGA in considering all proposals for new place names;
   
2. avoid adding new place names to features already named;
   
3. notify all new approved place names to the WG-GGI for inclusion in the CGA.

2. Permanent Geodetic Observatories

Noting the continued success of the GIANT program and its valuable contribution to the definition of global and regional geodetic reference frames;

Recognising the:

1. outstanding work by Japan in establishing on-going VLBI and GPS facilities at Syowa, and the significance of the Chilean VLBI facility at O’Higgins;
2. current difficulties in retrieving data from permanent geodetic observatories;

The Working Group recommends that SCAR:

1. supports the on-going operation of the O'Higgins VLBI observatory, to enhance maintenance of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame;
   
2. encourage COMNAP to support the retrieval of GPS data from geodetic observatories by satellite communication, for near-real time use of data by the international geodetic research community.

3. Geodetic Reference Frame

Noting the widespread use of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) as a global geodetic reference frame, as recommended by the International Association of Geodesy;

Recognising the increasing use of precise positioning in Antarctica for many scientific purposes and the need for a common reference frame for Antarctic and global geographically referenced information;

The Working Group recommends that:

SCAR recommends that National Committees, SCAR Working Groups and Groups of Specialists adopt and support use of:

1. ITRF as the basic geodetic reference frame in Antarctica;
2. the GRS80 ellipsoid for computation of precise geographic coordinates in that reference frame.

4. Bathymetric Data

Noting that the lack of bathymetric information in large areas of the Southern Ocean is a limiting factor in bathymetric mapping and nautical charting;

Further noting the key role of the IHO Data Center on Digital Bathymetry (DCDB) located at the US National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) in Boulder, CO, and the efforts of the IOC/IHO organizations for updating and maintaining the General Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO);

Considering the need for bathymetric maps for the morphological interpretation of the sea-floor structure, the geolocation of scientific data, and the general requirements for precise nautical charts to ensure the safety of navigation in Antarctic waters;

The Working Group recommends that:

1. SCAR supports the acquisition of echosounding data on all vessels operating in Antarctic waters and the delivery of the gathered measurements to the IHO DCDB for further use in bathymetric mapping;
2. National Operators should plan their vessel transits, wherever possible, through ocean regions where no bathymetric information is available.