At the Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station, which has been operational in Kirkkonummi since 1978, research and measurements are conducted into the position and orientation of the Earth in space, satellite orbits and changes in gravity. The Station's research infrastructure is of an exceptionally high quality and it is used to determine Finland's geodetic reference frame.
The Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station is a part of the global network of geodetic core stations which are used in maintaining the most precise global coordinate reference frame. A precise and stable reference frame is the basis for all modern spatial data and it is necessary, for example, when conducting research into the movements of the Earth's crust, sea level rise or the melting of the glaciers. Satellite positioning and navigation would not be possible in their current form without the measurements of, e.g., the spin-axis orientation of the Earth in space and how it changes with time.
Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station and its main functions:
- International status: The research station has gained the status of a core station in the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) maintained by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG).
- Participation in UN goals: The Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station participates in UN goals (e.g., UN-GGIM and sustainability) through participating in the operations of the global network of geodetic stations
- National and international contacts: Operates as the core station of the Finnish EUREF-FIN reference system and as a link between national and international systems, and is a part of the national GNSS network, FinnRef. The fundamental point of the national height system N2000 is located at Metsähovi, as is the fundamental point of the Finnish gravity network.
- Significant location: The Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station is the most northern and eastern core station within EU whose operations ensure the highest possible precision for national and international reference systems.
- Modern measurement systems: At the research station there are all the modern geodetic measurement systems necessary for maintaining the global reference system: a geodetic radio telescope system, a satellite laser, several satellite positioning instruments and a fully equipped gravity laboratory. In addition, there is a Doris satellite beacon in collaboration with the French space agency.
- Continuous development: The Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station's measurement operations are continuous, and they are also in continuous development to keep up with state-of-art.
Social impact
The Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station helps to secure a stable society. The current and highly precise data produced by Metsähovi and other similar research stations ensure that operations in space, such as satellite positioning and remote sensing, are possible. This ensures that the operational preconditions for critical functions in society are met because precise spatial data is needed for overland traffic, shipping and aviation. An increasing number of business models are based on spatial data.
The Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station is a member of the network of international geodetic research stations that ensures the reliability of the global reference frame. The research station also ensures that positioning systems work well in Finland. In addition, the INSPIRE Directive compliant coordinate reference systems in the EU, such as the Finnish EUREF-FIN, are based on the global system.
The Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station is a central global research infrastructure, and its operations are based on intense international cooperation. Cooperation partners include IAG (International Association of Geodesy) and the geodetic services it co-ordinates, the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), as well as space agencies, such as NASA, ESA, DLR and CNES.
Scientific impact
The fact that the research station is in Finland is important considering the particular features of the country, such as post-glacial land uplift and our northerly location. Studying the effects of local phenomena on the global coordinate reference systems enforces the reliablity of the global systems. The station must be located in Finland because observations elsewhere do not show the changes that are happening here. In addition, errors always accumulate in places where no data is available.
Data used to, e.g., model the effects of climate change, especially over decades, need to be free of errors due to use of different reference systems. Thanks to the Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station, data that has been collected or registered in Finland can be precisely converted to international systems before it is analysed globally. This ensures that forecasts and models that concern Finland are as accurate as possible.
Metsähovi is a part of two research infrastructures on the Finnish Academy roadmap:
- FIN-EPOS The European Plate Observing System is a European research infrastructure to collect data and increase understanding of the movements of the European continental plate, geological-geophysical processes, and their effects
- E2S the Earth-Space Research Ecosystem examines the interaction of the atmosphere and space.
For more information
If you are interested in visiting Metsähovi, please contact us. Visits are made by appointment only.
Prof. Hannu Koivula, Director of the Department of Geodesy and Geodynamics or
Research manager Jyri Näränen, manager of the Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station
firstname.lastname(at)nls.fi