LA GEOMATICA APPLICATA ALLA CORREZIONE DEGLI EFFETTI DI DEFORMAZIONE GRAVITAZIONALE NEL VLBI GEODETICO GEOMATICS APPLIED TO GRAVITATIONAL DEFORMATION CORRECTIONS IN GEODETIC VLBI DATA ANALYSIS

A few recent studies have addressed a number of shortcomings currently embedded in space geodesy observations whose solution has been successfully based on geomatics methods. The tie vectors between co-located space geodetic instruments can be efficiently and accurately measured by means of triangulation, trilateration, levelling and GPS. In addition, laser tracking and laser scanning have also proved to be central in addressing the deformations of the structures of VLBI telescopes. Their effects on the estimated heights were spotlighted as far as the late 70s. Nevertheless, only during the last decade some Italian studies have successfully used geomatics to model and remove the effects of gravitational flexures. We will show how the investigations published so far have quantified this effect for the very first time.