Dutch Permanent GNSS Array (DPGA)

The Dutch Permanent GPS Array (DPGA) consists of about 20 continuously operating GPS (and GLONASS) receivers and a data and computing centre. The main purpose of the network is to facilitate research and educational applications, and to provide GNSS data to the International GNSS Service (IGS), EUREF Permanent GNSS Network (EPN), and others.

Station operators

Several parties contribute data to the DPGA and/or are station operator for DPGA stations.

Nederlandse Samenwerking Geodetische Infrastructuur (NSGI)

The Nederlandse Samenwerking Geodetische Infrastuctuur, a collaboration of the Kadaster, Survey Department and the Hydrographic Survey, contibute the data of the AGRS.NL stations. All of the AGRS.NL stations, except three, are operated by the Kadaster and data is flowing through the NSGI datacenter. Three stations, DELF, KOS1 and WSRA, are operated jointly by TUD and the Kadaster, but the data is handled through the TUD datacenter. The hardware has been contributed by the NSGI.

Delft University of Technology (TUD/CITG/GRS)

The Delft University of Technology (TUD), department of Geoscience and Remote Sensing (GRS), is responsible for the IGS stations DLF1 and WSRT. It is also the operator for several IGRS stations (ZEGV, ROVN) and together with the Kadaster for a few of the AGRS.NL stations. TUD is also responsable for the management of the IGS and EPN stations, the routine uploads to IGS and EPN, and the meta data of these stations. Furthermore, TUD maintains a complete on-line archive of all of the data for research and educational applications.

Back in 1997 TUD was, together with the Kadaster and RWS, one of initiators of the AGRS.NL network. Since then, most of the operational aspects have been transferred to the Kadaster, which is still an on-going process.

Deltares

Deltares is the owner of the IGRS stations in Zegveld (ZEGV) and Rouveen (ROVN). These stations are operated by TUD on behalf of Deltates in the framework of the "Nationaal Onderzoeksprogramma Broeikasgassen Veenweiden" (NOBV) programme.

National Metrology Institute of the Netherlands (VSL)

VSL is the National Metrology Institute of the Netherlands. VSL is located in the same building (the former Geodesy building of TUD) as the TUD observatory (with DLF1, DELF and several other receivers). The Dutch national standard for time is realised by VSL using four atomic clocks. For time comparisons over long distances, VSL uses TWSTFT (Two Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer) and a GNSS timing receiver (VSLF). The data for VSLF is archived and available at the DPGA.

Network participations and applications

The stations of the DPGA participate in several other networks and RINEX data is uploaded routinely to these networks.

International GNSS Service (IGS)

There are three IGS stations in the Netherlands, Kootwijk (KOS1/KOSG), Westerbork (WSRT) and Delft (DLF1/DLFT). We also operate jointly with Leica and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) an IGS station in Singapore (NTUS) for which you can find the data here as well. The data for the IGS stations is uploaded routinely to the regional and global IGS data centers. The IGS is a service of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), its Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), and a network member of the International Science Council (ISC) World Data System (WDS). More information can be found on the International GNSS Service website.

EUREF Permanent GPS Network (EPN)

The AGRS.NL stations in Delft (DELF), Eijsden (EIJS), Ijmuiden (IJMU), Terschelling (TERS) and Vlissingen (VLIS), as well as the IGS stations in Delft (DLF1), Kootwijk (KOS1/KOSG) and Westerbork (WSRT), are also part of the EUREF Permanent GPS Network (EPN). The EPN is operated under the umbrella of the IAG (International Association of Geodesy) Regional Reference Frame sub-commission for Europe, EUREF, with more than 100 European universities and agencies involved.

Active GPS Reference System for the Netherlands (AGRS.NL)

The Active GPS Reference System (AGRS.NL)is an initiative of the TU Delft, the Kadaster and Survey Department of Rijkswaterstaat, which was built in 1996 with support from the Netherlands Geodetic Commission. The exploitation of the AGRS.NL is in the hands of the Nederlandse Samenwerking Geodetische Infrastuctuur, a collaboration of the Kadaster, Survey Department and the Hydrographic Survey. They use the AGRS.NL for the maintenance of the Dutch reference frame and for certifying other Dutch GNSS providers, and nowadays operate most of the stations. The TU Delft is responsible for research and educational applications of the AGRS.NL network, as well as operator for some of the stations The data for the AGRS.NL stations are also available from the NSGI GNSS Datacentrum.

European Plate Observatory (EPOS)

The data of AGRS.NL stations is uploaded to the European Plate Observatory (EPOS) network.

GNSS Meteorology (COST716, TOUGH, E-GVAP, GRUAN, CESAR)

Many of the stations are used by GNSS meteorology networks. This started wiht the European COST-716 Action "Exploitation of Ground Based GPS for Numerical Weather Prediction and Climate Applications" and the European TOUGH project, which have now been succeeded by the operational E-GVAP network. The TU Delft operated several receivers at the Cabauw Experimental Site for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (CESAR) where the receivers have been collocated with various meteorological sensors. The current active receiver is called CBW1, which is also an IGRS station. For more information and the latest estimates of Integrated Water Vapour (IWV) see EUMETNET GPS water vapour programme (E-GVAP).

SBAS and Internet Based Global Differential GPS

The TU Delft also operated in the past at the GNSS lab in Delft several EGNOS Monitoring stations at the on behalf of Eurocontrol (DLF4 and DLF5), an IGDG Tracking Station on behalf of JPL (DLF3), and a QZSS tracking station for JAXA (DLF2). These stations have been replaced by the IGS station DLF1.

For more information or questions contact Hans van der Marel.